The big question is how long will it be shut down. With Amtrak operating at the reduced number of trains it cannot even help on the east coast wheere lack of gasoline due to the pipeline problems.
Wonder if the shutdown goes more than a week if there is anything that Biden thru the FRA could do to get service expanded ? Maybe extra long trains if enough OBS persons can be found ? Probably not.
They are already restoring parts of the pipeline in an incremental fashon:
https://www.colpipe.com/news/press-releases/media-statement-colonial-pipeline-system-disruption
JPS1If the bad guys or gals can bring down a major U.S. pipeline by hacking into the flow control systems, I wonder what they could do to the nation’s railroads, i.e., hack computers used for dispatching, locomotive control, accounting, finance etc.?
Its not so much has they are 'hacking' the computers operational mechanics - they are holding the computers data hostage.
Locally Baltimore City has had their 'Finances' held hostage and Baltimore County Public Schools have had their computer that fcilitates on line learning held hostage. Those are the attacks that have been acknowledged, who knows how many attacks have not been made public. The scam is all about the money and how much those attacked will pay to regain controld of their data.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
One of the big threats in Europe involves the data privacy laws. Apparently there are large statutory fines for 'release of private data' even if fraudulently or criminally released, and it is to avoid this that the smaller amount of the ransomware is to be paid. To my knowledge we have no similar policy here... yet... so presumably we're looking more at at a shutdown and restore of bricked systems followed by re-establishment of flow control and determining where the various slugs are.
JPS1Could the railroad be run in manual mode?
I suspect most U.S. Railroads have not entered the "computer run" generation yet. I would say probably today they are run "computer assisted". So I think they are primarily manual as it is. Too many screw ups with train handling for me to buy into the concept they are run by computer or they could not recover if one of their not contiguious computer subsystems went down. I could be wrong of course, just my general feeling being in the IT industry.
JPS1I understand the bad guys are holding the computer’s data hostage. They want money in order to unfreeze the data. Let’s suppose the bad guys broke into the computers that are used by dispatchers to control the flow of traffic on a railroad and corrupted the data or even wrecked it. And let’s further suppose that it would take a week or more to restore the system. Could the railroad be run in manual mode?
On railroad that are operating CADS - there are no fall back manual systems currently IN PLACE to operate manually.
Potentially the CADS carrier(s) affected by a computer hostage situation could CREATE a manual system that would allow a reduced level of operations, at reduced speeds with a heightend level of danger since ALL PERSONNEL participating (Dispatchers, Train & Engine Crews, MofW Personnel) WOULD NOT have any experience or training on the system that has been CREATED 'on the fly'.
Changing the Method Of Operation on a line or on a entire railroad is not a easy change over - The Cayce, SC Amtrak/CSX incident is the deadly proof of some of the problems.
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
If this keeps up, that is, a cavalier attitude to network safety by all who have enslaved themselves to computer systems with no manual backups or work-arounds then by all that's holy we're heading for a "Digital Titanic" one of these fine days.
How many thumps and bumps from growlers and bergy-bits along the side of the hull before this "ship" we're all riding on hits the big one?
When are those "wise heads" in charge going to heed the ice warnings?
You think history doesn't repeat itself? You'd better think again.
Flintlock76If this keeps up, that is, a cavalier attitude to network safety by all who have enslaved themselves to computer systems with no manual backups or work-arounds then by all that's holy we're heading for a "Digital Titanic" one of these fine days.
The banking system is very secure. We are talking James Bond 007 levels of security there.
CMStPnPThe banking system is very secure. We are talking James Bond 007 levels of security there.
Well as they might say at MI6, Mr. Bond's employer, "I bloody well hope so!"
The banking system's learned the hard and embarassing way, I hope everyone else takes the lesson from this last incident.
Flintlock76The banking system's learned the hard and embarassing way, I hope everyone else takes the lesson from this last incident.
Indeed, they are very ultra paranoid about it as well. Which if everyone was in that same state we would not have the hacks we are reading about. The highest levels of security I have come across is both banking and brokerage (stock trading firms). I think the stock trading firms security is so high is the fines are so high for illegal trading, etc.
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