Technology Review:
Tom Simonite
Attacks could take many different forms, says Campbell. Some might simply shut down systems, while others can cause physical and sometimes irreversible damage. In 2007 the Department of Homeland Security released a video apparently demonstrating how a power-generating turbine self-destructed in an exercise that illustrated what an attacker could do after gaining access to a control system.
In the case of the power grid, some vulnerabilities arise from the way that different components locally, regionally, and nationally are linked up, says Campbell. For example, the pattern of connections between different parts of the grid can create weak spots that would make it relatively easy for a hacker to bring down a wide area, perhaps for some time. "If you can isolate a power station, for example, it can be difficult to turn it back on because you need power to do that," says Campbell.
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Tom Simonite
Attacks could take many different forms, says Campbell. Some might simply shut down systems, while others can cause physical and sometimes irreversible damage. In 2007 the Department of Homeland Security released a video apparently demonstrating how a power-generating turbine self-destructed in an exercise that illustrated what an attacker could do after gaining access to a control system.
In the case of the power grid, some vulnerabilities arise from the way that different components locally, regionally, and nationally are linked up, says Campbell. For example, the pattern of connections between different parts of the grid can create weak spots that would make it relatively easy for a hacker to bring down a wide area, perhaps for some time. "If you can isolate a power station, for example, it can be difficult to turn it back on because you need power to do that," says Campbell.
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