back to article Iranian hackers targeted New York dam, had a quick nosy around

Iranian hackers penetrated the online control system of a New York dam in 2013, according to reports, and poked around inside the system. The Wall Street Journal reported that hackers gained access to the dam through a cellular modem, according to an unclassified Homeland Security summary of the case. Two sources said the …

  1. Naselus
    Paris Hilton

    New York dame

    "Iranian hackers penetrated the online control system of a New York dame"

    I hear that Paris is often penetrated.

    1. Chris Miller

      Re: New York dame

      I feel the subs may have a seasonal pantomime thing going on.

      (Altogether now: "OH NO THEY HAVEN'T!")

      1. dotdavid

        Re: New York dame

        HE'S BEHIND YOU!

      2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

        Re: New York dame

        "OH YES THEY HAVE!"

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: New York dame

      It was an accident, your honor, I swear! I just tripped and fell, hich made me penetrate the dame...

      http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/millionaire-ehsan-abdulaziz-who-said-he-accidentally-tripped-and-penetrated-teen-is-cleared-of-rape-a6774946.html

    3. PleebSmasher
      Joke

      Re: New York dame

      "and poked around inside the system."

      They really knew how to turn her on.

  2. sysconfig

    Internet of Things...

    Whether tiny, small, big or very big "things"... some just shouldn't be connected to the internet at all.

    1. Dan Paul

      Re: Internet of Things...

      The problem is that many or most of these reservoirs/dams are out in the middle of nowhere and are usually unmanned except during infrequent maintenance periods.

      Municipalities being the skinflints that they are, one reason why they are on the Internet is the fact that there is no such thing as a commonly available telephone modem that works under Windows 7 or greater, the other is that there may be as many as 500 to 600 miles between facilities and central operations.

      Having them all on the Internet so they can be monitored or controlled is a big cost savings for the water board. Notice that I never said they were concerned about "security"?

      Who the hell do you think works most often for municipalities anyway? That's right, the relatives of politicians, that's whom.

      I think we all know where this is leading.

      1. IglooDude

        Re: Internet of Things...

        Or if they're going to be on the internet, at least they could be behind a separate-box firewall and connected to the central station via IPsec tunnel.

    2. Robert Helpmann??
      Childcatcher

      Re: Internet of Things...

      This will lead to a lot of people saying things like, "There oughta be a law..." and there already is, even if it is simply that of natural selection.

      1. Mark 85
        Devil

        Re: Internet of Things...

        even if it is simply that of natural selection.

        You're obviously not in the States, otherwise you'd know that Congress and certain "think of the children" types have been trying to repeal Darwin's Law for decades. If they succeed, we'll end up with more politicians per square mile than any other country.

      2. Voland's right hand Silver badge

        Re: Internet of Things...

        This will lead to a lot of people saying things like, "There oughta be a law..." and there already is, even if it is simply that of natural selection

        Actually as far as water supply there is in most countries and in the USA there are now a couple of applicable regs. Just nobody enforces them.

      3. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: Internet of Things...

        "There oughta be a law..."

        Considering the huge cost of security theatre at airports etc and the laws covering that, then you'd almost think there would be equally stringent laws covering the security of strategic infrastructure. Would you want live in the shadow of a damn secured by the lowest bidder? And equally stringent fines/punishments for breaking said laws.

        1. Captain DaFt

          Re: Internet of Things...

          "Considering the huge cost of security theatre at airports etc and the laws covering that, then you'd almost think there would be equally stringent laws covering the security of strategic infrastructure."

          Why would there be? There're no masses of average Americans passing through said strategic facilities to be awed and inconvenienced by the theatre of the absurd.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So...

    are we safer now that the (iranian) government has backdoor access to this system? Will this stop the terrorism?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Shades of Stuxnet

    Payback can be a real bi*ch...

  5. Straggler

    This ain't nothing like a dame

  6. Stevie

    Bah!

    Still not clear on how monitoring my phone calls and e-mails helped prevent this from happening.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Bah!

      Have you been downloading movies?

      That funds terrorism.

      Of course it's only terrorism if it really is the Iranians - if it turns out to be the Chinese, Israelis or just geographically challenged US governments then it's ok.

  7. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    "The analysts detected a machine that was crawling the internet for vulnerable US industrial-control systems."

    My first reaction was that maybe DHS should be doing such crawling themselves and advising the manglements of the systems they find.

    However, if they're monitoring someone else doing it they're not only achieving the same thing but by being able to tell the manglements that not only do they have an insecure system but that it's been hacked they should be able to provide the manglements with a brown-underware moment that results in the matter being taken seriously.

  8. The Average Joe

    incompetent managers...

    They are everywhere... I am sure there are no network admins or not enough and someone higher up gets a bonus for cost control and cost reductions...

  9. Doctor_Wibble
    Black Helicopters

    Do we believe this in entirety?

    Serious question - but I've long since given up believing what any of the glorious TLA's tell us about who is having a go at what because they always had too many conveniently timed and targeted reports.

    So Iran is back on the radar again, or is this just a bit late, or were they never off it?

    I'm not disputing the existence of attacks/hacks, just the finger-pointing bit.

  10. annodomini2

    Well..

    You're Dammed if you do or you're dammed if you don't.

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