Warnings over Russia's new tank Armata

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by Skybird

In Finland, in a region where they have temps of -30°C, for months the central heating of several towns and villages was targetted by massive hacker attacks that prevented the central core installations from starting to work. For months. Quite a problem with -30° around you. They had to fall back to the dratsic solution of almost cutting all internet and computer wires into the network controlling these heatings.

I'm aware of only three publicly confirmed attacks on temperature control systems: two in Lappeenranta against general heating on two residential flats and one in Rauma against cooling system of indoor ice rink. If there are any others I would like to read about them, not saying they didn't happen or could not happen.

Threat is certainly there and consequences especially during colder months maybe quite severe. Ofcourse you can disconnect your systems from internet after attack is deteected, but how much physical damage can be done before it?

Originally Posted by Skybird

Have a volley of EMP bombs shattering the fundament of modern civilization and taking electricity out of the equation - then we talk again.

You don't need EMP bombs to disable or distroy critical distribution systems. This can be done either remotely with cyber attacks or locally with certain tools (no, I'm not telling which ones) most likely available from local hardware store.

Critical components such as high voltage transformers are not readily replaceable which often means repair times in excess of twelve months. Another major issue in grid design is that over years it has been driven by economics rather than security and redundancy. Therefore electrical grids in many western countries including Finland and the United States are dependent on small number of critical electrical substations (in practice transformers) and loss of too many of them (three in case of Finland) will cripple the grid.