I'm not a pipeline expert, but I've been doing computers sense the early 90s. You have a pipe. It has pumps and valves. You have a computer that controls it all. The computer gets hacked. UNPLUG THE DAM COMPUTER... and plug in another one. Then restart the pumps. If they are too incompetent to figure out a workaround then get the hell out of the way and let someone else try.
If there is one thing I've learned with computers its that the guy at the console is god. There is no such thing as taking over from a remote location. Anyone that tells you differently has been watching too many movies. Send real actual human beings out the the pumps, unplug the dam computer and just turn the pump on manually. Yeah, a person might have to watch the pressure and flow rates etc rather than the computer. So the hell what. Get the dam gas flowing again morons.
there is the small issue that of a "Disater Recovery Plan" appears to be non-existent.
For such a critical infrastructure, (Strategic Energy supplies), which is inherently dangerous and has many public safety issues, not to have a plan to keep the system safely up and operational is a massive failure in itself, This pipeline is pumping gasoline, there must be many safety features built in to preserve life.
did you ever see videos of what happens in some third world counties when a gasoline pipeline catches fire, due to vandalism or simple theft attempts ?
simply opening the facet and letting it flow in an uncontrolled way creates a severe danger. One spark and you have a big problem and usually, death.
There are many pipeline companies so the system is compartmentalized somewhat.
But theybare all strategic critical nodes Nd that is something a foreign enemy will pay attention to. However I think tjey had inside help.
Yeah, I get that gas is dangerous. My dad used a large syringe to spray gas on a wasp nest one time. He didn't squirt fast enough and the fire went up the stream of gas and caught the syringe on fire. Wish I had that one on video. Totally hilarious.
I just find it hard to believe that someone can remotely effect a system so large that they couldn't just take 24-48 hours to remove/replace the effected systems and start everything back up. It makes no sense that its been down long enough to cause shortages at the pump.
This is about bureaucrats and politicians getting in the way. The only question is are they doing it intentionally or out of incompetence.
I've heard it was a stuxnet attack, against the Siemens process management functions. It's how the Iranian centrifuges were attacked. No good reloading compromised components, everything IT would have to be rebuilt from scratch and checked at every step.
Hmm. So you're saying its not servers... or not just the servers, they have infected all the PLC type devices that control the individual values and sensors...?
I guess I could see how that would be a harder problem to solve. Seems a bit odd that a US based company would allow their hardware to be that vulnerable.
But okay maybe... It just seems awfully convenient that this effects the SE... mostly red states... mostly vacations states that have removed WuFlu restrictions and are expecting tons of people to travel there in the next 2-3 months.