Russia has cyber control of some US nuclear power plants

[ecstatic]

Rachel is reporting on this. I know there's a lot of other news tonight, but this is chilling AF!

Edited to add article:

Cyberattacks Put Russian Fingers on the Switch at Power Plants, U.S. Says

Still, new computer screenshots released by the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday made clear that Russian state hackers had the foothold they would have needed to manipulate or shut down power plants.

“We now have evidence they’re sitting on the machines, connected to industrial control infrastructure, that allow them to effectively turn the power off or effect sabotage,” said Eric Chien, a security technology director at Symantec, a digital security firm.

“From what we can see, they were there. They have the ability to shut the power off. All that’s missing is some political motivation,” Mr. Chien said.

American intelligence agencies were aware of the attacks for the past year and a half, and the Department of Homeland Security and the F.B.I. first issued urgent warnings to utility companies in June. On Thursday, both agencies offered new details as the Trump administration imposed sanctions against Russian individuals and organizations it accused of election meddling and “malicious cyberattacks.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/15/us/politics/russia-cyberattacks.amp.html

[rurallib]

1. good gawd

[mucifer]

2. Just wondering if dems get in in November can they clean up all the messes?

[ecstatic]

6. If we get in, Putin could literally turn the lights out all over this country

I guess I need to start prepping now. SMH!

[Hortensis]

17. Laying in extra supplies -- good response!

We may not be able to stop a long-term power outage, but we can damned well boost our ability to take care of ourselves and in so doing increase our communities' resilience.

Bottled water a gallon per person a day just for drinking.
Chemicals for water treatment -- household bleach works well and infinitely better than nothing.
Clear bottles for sun-sterilizing water.
Food. Rice and dried beans together make a complete protein and store for years.
Salt. (Most households are very deficient these days.)
Multivitamins.
Extras on prescription medications, over-the-counter antiinflammatories, anti-diarrheal, etc.
First aid supplies, including topical antibiotics.
Duct tape.
First aid book.
Paper maps/printouts to friends and family -- roads and usual routes may be closed.
Addresses and other communication information for friends and family on paper.

Etcetera depending on needs and how resilient you want to be.

https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1390846764394-dc08e309debe561d866b05ac84daf1ee/checklist_2014.pdf

[dalton99a]

18. +1. No electricity means no water for many people

[Hortensis]

20. Yup. Lights off will become life-threatening emergency

almost immediately without a backup water source.

[McCamy Taylor]

3. Some commander in chief Trump has turned out to be.

[Hortensis]

21. It's the Republicans in government in general.

This is just an update on what we knew was happening. The increasing anti-government craziness of Republicans has stymied almost all attempts to deal adequately with this threat. It requires commitment to action with serious funding, some new laws to enable action, and coordination between private utilities and government.

Hundreds of private utilities and local governments, who understand the danger very well, have chosen what they hope will never come to mass die-offs and misery for their consumers, as well as destruction of their own businesses, over having to cooperate with the federal government.

[Stallion]

4. But Whatabout Hillary's E-mails?

that MIGHT have allowed disclosure of secret e-mails but didn't

[CottonBear]

5. Holy crap & WTF? Just when you thought things couldnt get worse...

[dhol82]

7. And, sadly, RWNJs will read this as how wonderful that the administration is going after them

[ecstatic]

9. But are they really going after them? My tin foil hat is on tighter than ever now

What if this control of our nuclear plants is the avenue Putin-light aka trump will use to usher in martial law right before the elections?

Since Jan 2017, trump has been methodically destroying all norms and moving us closer to a dictatorship. At each power grab, Congress has done absolutely nothing to put him in check.

[milestogo]

8. Maybe they will cut power to the White House and MaraPoogo.

[panader0]

10. When the cyber world was first coming into existence,

I thought about it's potential for good.
Now I see so many dangers.

[poboy2]

11. Get Barron on this. He's good at cyber.

[ProudLib72]

12. So eight years after Stuxnet and no one ever thought our nuclear power plants would be targets?

I mean, we are the ones who thought of it first.

I wonder if they can flush the coolant tanks remotely.

[Elwood P Dowd]

13. And putting a total buffon in charge of the Dept of Energy will just make things worse.

All the agencies are crashing and burning because of these people.

[Lars39]

14. Kick for awareness!

[wishstar]

15. Surprised the intrusion of Russian hackers into our infrastructure is not a bigger news story

I haven't seen this blockbuster FBI and US Intelligence report even mentioned by major network or cable yesterday or today so far.

Warrants much more serious response from our leadership in Washington.

[sarcasmo]

16. We're at war with a Traitor as President.

[Thrill]

19. This happens when Putins puppet is President