Another Mid-week thoughts

Ok, it's another Wednesday and a week of news have passed, and a lot of words passed the eyes and ears. And sometimes my eyes and ears need a rest. The news of the world is sometimes overwhelming and often depressing. But that is the reality of the world today especially with the state of information communication and global networks. Everything within minutes on and Internet. And sometimes it's why I like to sit down with a bunch of newspapers and a large double shot mocha. It's slower, my brain speed.

And the news which struck my notice to cut out and save?

And this time no rants about George. At least until my brain says, "Wait a minute..."

First, cyber attacks on utilities infrastructure. There was an article about the CIA worrying about cyber attacks from groups outside the US into the operating infrastructure of the power utility companies. They say that there have been attacks from outside the US on the "national infrastructure network." And while I respect the CIA and their concern about the communication networks many operate, I don't have concern about the actual utility operations and facilities, at least through the Internet.

Why? Because no utility is dumb or stupid enough to put their actual operations and management on a publically accessible network. They will have the managers who communicate with other utility managers, especially for buying and selling power or energy supplies, but none put the actual operations systems on that network. And whatever interface they have to connect between operations and other computers , which is rare anyway, will be isolated so it can't be attacked through the Internet.

I learned this years ago when I visited some local utilities when discussing new annual contracts for our work. We often get to visit the actual operations room where their entire grid and their connections to other grids is controlled. They more than emphasize the operations is an isolated, stand-alone communcations network. And any computers connected to the Internet were separate, and if connected to the operations computers, was protected from outsiders.

Now this may not be the case with some smaller utilities which can't afford such secure computer systems and communications networks, but that doesn't mean they don't know and have done the work to prevent cyber attacks. If I have any real concern about the whole utilities' systems isn't the computers so much as the actual UHF/VHF radio system used to communicate between operations and hydroelectric dams, signal transfer sites, and other facilities.

These would be hard to break into because they're all line of sight between the operation(s) center and remote sites using relay sites, meaning you would have to get in between the line of sight signal paths which isn't that easy. So, while the CIA is concerned as we all should be, I put a lot of faith, so far anyway, in the companies to know what to do. The greatest threat will always be an insider than an outsider.

Second, selling the US. Not the government's policies or international diplomacy, but the corporate assests of US companies. We're selling them at an alarming rate due to the discounted US dollar compared to other currencies. Foreign conglomerates and even some government-owned (eg. China, Russia) corporations are buying whole companies. And many others are investing in US companies to become major shareholders.

In addition to that many foreign companies are setting up US plants, such as Toyota, BMW, Sony, etc., to have faster access to US markets. And these companies generally pay more, sometimes 30% more, than US owned companies. Gee, makes you wonder about the problems US companies say they have with US workers?

On a similar note, in an interview, they reported that 70% of our accumulated national debt is owned, or rather promisary notes held, by foreign banks and government, including the biggest bank in China owned by the Chinese government. Not only are they selling us cheap goods, they're holding the mortage to our country.

Third, radical islamic jihahism. Ok, a long term for the situation. It's not a war on terror or terrorism. It's not a war. It's a international struggle against groups of adical islamic jihahists. And while we like to point out they're the problem, we forget a problem takes two sides, oppression and rebellion. You can't have insurgents without an oppressor. We're it.

But my point is that to solve the problem from our side it takes all sides. A USA editorial Tuesday (22nd) has an interesting essay by George Weigel about the need for bipartisanship between the parties and amongst all American. We're all in this together.

Anyway, I updated my Blog, and found an interesting photo. Have a good week and I'll write again soon.
Ok,