<p>This ‘Wired’ article is one of the most worrying things I’ve seen in ages.</p>
<p>Paraphrasing and interpolating what the article says, most modern Internet connected computer controlled systems are potentially vulnerable to attack via any vulnerability in their internal or externally connected systems. More worrying the hardware has been around for ten years and has been installed on both new and old facilities.</p>
<p>This means that not only is National Infrastructure (water, power, communications, NHS etc) potentially vulnerable, but even distribution systems such as automated warehouses or in fact any on-line automated systems are in the same boat.</p>
<p>Knowledgeable folk may think that ‘any’ is a stretch, but Siemens PLC (Programeable logic controllers) can be found pretty much everywhere – even in Home automation!</p>
<p>One of the problems is that ‘attack’ can be very subtle such as Stuxnet deliberately running centrifuges at the critical speed where they shake apart, or the more likely ‘crash and burn’ mode where PLCs are randomly thrown open or closed.</p>
<p>As no ‘fix’ is possible, we are going to have to live with Siemen’s crypto cockup for more years to come.</p>
<p>Instrument engineers and systems interface people are going to become a critical industry resource once again.</p>
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