Water system controllers don't belong on the internet, says ex-NSA chief
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Part of my career encapsulates a period where I was a PLC programmer, installer, commissioner, and troubleshooter for massive build outs (sky scrapers, data centers, laboratories, factories). Interestingly, this was after years of teaching myself software engineering, eventually participating in large open source projects. The clash of entering…
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Well yes this is true but air gapping isn't perfect security, it's important to understand that too.And true air gapping isn't possible because it'll need to be monitored somewhere central so there'll have to be some vpn or mpls whatever. Meaning it can be hacked.Having it exposed to the public internet is not good practice but should be far from…
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With coding agents now being used for hacking, there's a decent chance we'll see a 9/11-scale hacking incident as a result of NSA/DHS negligence in securing American internet-connected services. Similar to how the CIA's negligence allowed 9/11 itself.The USG should be deploying thousands of security engineers armed with the latest coding models…
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At modern population densities, basic infrastructure breaking on down on a large scale can kill millions in a matter of weeks.The largest threat isn't bombs falling on our heads, it's incompetent fools leaving the door open to their enemies.These aren't mistakes that can be excused. Failing in one's duty to steward important infrastructure must…
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Don't put your PLCs directly on the internet. In fact most industrial stuff is very not made to be directly connected to the internet. But interpose a firewall+VPN solution and you might be ok, if done competently.And remote access to hardware definitely makes management and maintenance a lot easier and quicker. (else you need to drive out for…
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We could say that about a lot of infrastructure that has been recklessly placed on the open Internet because it was cheaper than more secure solutions. I would say the same about home security systems, for instance.
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There are many wireless pump-and-reservoir systems that while not internet connected, use insecure RF links. These local RF (and casting a wider net, Bluetooth) interfaces are also ripe for abuse.
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He is wrong and right. They should be connected to the Internet when they aren't 30 year old PLCs ripe for abuse. Until then, cut the data lines and do water monitoring the old way.