US Ramping Up Digital Attacks on Russia's Power Grid: Report

[Franklin Pierce]

The U.S. is reportedly ramping up attacks on Russia's electric power grid.

The move is a warning to Moscow of how the Trump administration is using new authorities to unleash cybertools in a more aggressive manner, The New York Times reported Saturday, citing current and former government officials.

The officials told the newspaper that the U.S. was deploying computer code within Russia's grid and other targets along with other actions to combat Russian disinformation and hacking in the 2018 elections.

Proponents of the action reportedly said it was warranted given alerts from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI that Russia had inserted malware that could hurt U.S. power plants, oil and gas pipelines and water supplies.

The Cyber Command is the Defense Department branch that coordinates the military's online operations. The Hill has reached out to the Defense Department for comment.

“It has gotten far, far more aggressive over the past year,” one senior intelligence official told The Times. “We are doing things at a scale that we never contemplated a few years ago.”

US ramping up digital attacks on Russia's power grid: report

 

[MOOOOONEY]

“A house divided cannot stand”

This is fake because everyone knows that President Trump is a Russian stooge.

 

[AM64]

“A house divided cannot stand”

This is fake because everyone knows that President Trump is a Russian stooge.

Carlos posted over in amateur hour that Trump wasn't told because the agencies didn't think he could be trusted. Personally I think it's a great idea to be prepared to sabotage their power grid; I've always assumed the Russians and Chinese are set to do ours in whenever they felt the time was right. It really gets down to not everything should go on the internet, and the idea of a "smart grid" is really stupid.

 

[DC_Vol]

“A house divided cannot stand”

This is fake because everyone knows that President Trump is a Russian stooge.

Yup, this is no way to pay back the man who helped him win the election with those memes!!

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

The U.S. is reportedly ramping up attacks on Russia's electric power grid.

The move is a warning to Moscow of how the Trump administration is using new authorities to unleash cybertools in a more aggressive manner, The New York Times reported Saturday, citing current and former government officials.

The officials told the newspaper that the U.S. was deploying computer code within Russia's grid and other targets along with other actions to combat Russian disinformation and hacking in the 2018 elections.

Proponents of the action reportedly said it was warranted given alerts from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI that Russia had inserted malware that could hurt U.S. power plants, oil and gas pipelines and water supplies.

The Cyber Command is the Defense Department branch that coordinates the military's online operations. The Hill has reached out to the Defense Department for comment.

“It has gotten far, far more aggressive over the past year,” one senior intelligence official told The Times. “We are doing things at a scale that we never contemplated a few years ago.”

US ramping up digital attacks on Russia's power grid: report

Just curious, but why would we do that? Wouldn't that lead to a counter-attack on our system?

 

[Carl Pickens]

I wish everyone would just mind their own business and knock this kind of BS off

 

[Velo Vol]

Personally I think it's a great idea to be prepared to sabotage their power grid;

Being prepared and actually doing it are two different things.

 

[Velo Vol]

Treason for a newspaper to publish a story. There's a new one.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

I really wish we would just stop sticking our nose in and stop thinking we have to do crap like this.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Treason for a newspaper to publish a story. There's a new one.

Opinions be damned right?

 

[ETV]

Carlos posted over in amateur hour that Trump wasn't told because the agencies didn't think he could be trusted. Personally I think it's a great idea to be prepared to sabotage their power grid; I've always assumed the Russians and Chinese are set to do ours in whenever they felt the time was right. It really gets down to not everything should go on the internet, and the idea of a "smart grid" is really stupid.

Back in the day this would have been considered as a precursor to an invasion.

 

[Matt2496]

I sincerely hope this is fake news.

 

[Franklin Pierce]

Just curious, but why would we do that? Wouldn't that lead to a counter-attack on our system?

I think it is an impolite way to let the commies know that messing with the U.S. can have dire consequences for the Russians.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

I think it is an impolite way to let the commies know that messing with the U.S. can have dire consequences for the Russians.

I bet you a year's salary that a disruption to the Russian grid would have a far different affect than a disruption on the American grid. Russians being without power over an extended period of time wouldn't compare to the Mad Max s**t show you would see here. You've got people in Russia that survived the old USSR and the collapse and rape of Russia in the 1990s. They will survive. Americans, on the other hand, without their air conditioning, Facebook, televisions and creature comforts for more than 72 hrs would be hell on earth.

You and those that support this preemptive action have not properly war gamed this.

 

[AM64]

Back in the day this would have been considered as a precursor to an invasion.

There have been several articles in the past about "attempted" hacks on our grid and power plants. I see this move by our side as nothing more than catching up or being prepared to do the same. Yep, it's dangerous, but I sincerely doubt that I'm the only one who has thought a "smart grid"
was actually pretty dumb. Let's just say that if a power company can remotely control things including shutting off your power, then someone else can do the same. You have to face that is the world we live in today.

And, yeah, today I would think the first move in a war would be to shut down the opponent's infrastructure, and what better way to do it than from the privacy of your own country. New and novel isn't always better, and just because you can do something (like remotely control infrastructure), doesn't mean you should.

 

[AM64]

I bet you a year's salary that a disruption to the Russian grid would have a far different affect than a disruption on the American grid. Russians being without power over an extended period of time wouldn't compare to the Mad Max s**t show you would see here. You've got people in Russia that survived the old USSR and the collapse and rape of Russia in the 1990s. They will survive. Americans, on the other hand, without their air conditioning, Facebook, televisions and creature comforts for more than 72 hrs would be hell on earth.

You and those that support this preemptive action have not properly war gamed this.

I agree, but I think this is more catch up than preemptive.

 

[Velo Vol]

You've got people in Russia that survived the old USSR and the collapse and rape of Russia in the 1990s.

By whom?

 

[ETV]

I agree, but I think this is more catch up than preemptive.

I agree that we're currently in catch up with this taking place. My thoughts were just looking at this from a cold war era perspective, the would have hit the fan by now.

 

[AM64]

I agree that we're currently in catch up with this taking place. My thoughts were just looking at this from a cold war era perspective, the would have hit the fan by now.

Yes, I think now it's just more analogous to spying ... everybody does it and everybody else knows it. The recourse is not be stupid and leave yourself open to be a victim.

 

[BigOrangeD]

Yes, I think now it's just more analogous to spying ... everybody does it and everybody else knows it. The recourse is not be stupid and leave yourself open to be a victim.

This

 

[Hunerwadel]

Who even knows if it't true or not? We may be sending the Russians on a goose chase.

 

[AM64]

Who even knows if it't true or not? We may be sending the Russians on a goose chase.

That's quite true, too. The whole story has a false ring to it ... why would you give away your capability? The cold war was all about playing catch up and being ahead; cyber warfare can just as well be another MAD variant.

 

[ajvol01]

I bet you a year's salary that a disruption to the Russian grid would have a far different affect than a disruption on the American grid. Russians being without power over an extended period of time wouldn't compare to the Mad Max s**t show you would see here. You've got people in Russia that survived the old USSR and the collapse and rape of Russia in the 1990s. They will survive. Americans, on the other hand, without their air conditioning, Facebook, televisions and creature comforts for more than 72 hrs would be hell on earth.

You and those that support this preemptive action have not properly war gamed this.

You forgot to mention commerce.

Think about the % of transactions in the US economy that are electronic vs paper currency.

Losing the grid would be catastrophic.

Makes me think of the “run on the bank” scene in It’s a Wonderful Life, but in reality likely 100 - 1000 times worse.

 

[evillawyer]

“A house divided cannot stand”

This is fake because everyone knows that President Trump is a Russian stooge.

Didn't read the NY Times story, did you? Donny, intentionally, ain't in the loop on this. Here's what the story says:

"Two administration officials said they believed Mr. Trump had not been briefed in any detail about the steps to place “implants” — software code that can be used for surveillance or attack — inside the Russian grid.

Pentagon and intelligence officials described broad hesitation to go into detail with Mr. Trump about operations against Russia for concern over his reaction — and the possibility that he might countermand it or discuss it with foreign officials, as he did in 2017 when he mentioned a sensitive operation in Syria to the Russian foreign minister.

Because the new law defines the actions in cyberspace as akin to traditional military activity on the ground, in the air or at sea, no such briefing would be necessary, they added."

 

[Orangeburst]

Didn't read the NY Times story, did you? Donny, intentionally, ain't in the loop on this. Here's what the story says:

"Two administration officials said they believed Mr. Trump had not been briefed in any detail about the steps to place “implants” — software code that can be used for surveillance or attack — inside the Russian grid.

Pentagon and intelligence officials described broad hesitation to go into detail with Mr. Trump about operations against Russia for concern over his reaction — and the possibility that he might countermand it or discuss it with foreign officials, as he did in 2017 when he mentioned a sensitive operation in Syria to the Russian foreign minister.

Because the new law defines the actions in cyberspace as akin to traditional military activity on the ground, in the air or at sea, no such briefing would be necessary, they added."

So you believe "military action" should not require briefing to the CIC? Just who in the hell is running our government....a bunch of bureaucrats?
Publishing this "Military action" is criminal.