American Blackout National Geographic

So I watched American Blackout on National Geographic Channel a while ago. Someone had asked me what I thought about it; so I sat down a wrote down a few comments on the scenarios they presented, so lets start with overall comments.

I applaud Nat Geo for not getting to much into the fear mongering as they have in their previous shows about a grid down situation, such as this one.

The current technology for a emp bomb on this magnitude is non existent, but a nuclear bomb set off at altitude can result in a emp which would have the same result, but it would need to be set off above Kansas, the chances of someone launching a nuclear device above the plains of KS are so low, it should not even register on your radar. You can read more technical jargon about it here if you would like.

I think they presented a real concern with a cyber attack, but failed to mention natural causes for a grid down scenario; such as a solar flare on the level of a Carrington level event or greater. There isn’t a boogey man behind every door, but sometimes mother nature will throw us a curve ball, such as the issue that happened in Quebec.

But I digress, that is the subject for a whole different conversation.

So the premise of the show was a cyber attack, which is a concern. Yet, they didn’t give any historical reference or evidence as far as why that is a concern, well here you go.

Earlier this week, a report by the cyber security firm Mandiant pointed to China as the source of several cyber attacks on the U.S. One of the targets of those attacks is the power grid. Although no one has successfully pulled off a large-scale disruption of the power, there have been blackouts caused by weather. Hurricane Sandy had millions of people living by candlelight. So just how vulnerable is our power grid?

The National Research Council recently issued a 168-page report — “Terrorism and the Electric Power Delivery System.” It found the system to be highly vulnerable for two reasons.

Number one: The system is physically vulnerable, particularly the system’s large high voltage transformers. Granger Morgan is one of the authors of the report. He says many of these transformers are at facilities in wide open spaces. “So a small number of people who knew what they were doing could do very large and very disruptive damage to the system.” Source.

 

The US electricity grid is under near constant attack from malware and cyber-criminals, yet most utility companies implement only the barest minimum of security standards, according to a new report released by Congressmen Ed Markey (D-MA) and Henry Waxman (D-CA).

“National security experts say that cyber attacks on America’s electric grid top the target list for terrorists and rogue states, yet we remain highly vulnerable to attacks,” Markey said in a statement. “We need to push electric utilities to enlist all of the measures they can now, and push for stronger standards in Congress that will keep our economy and our country safe from cyber warfare.”

Among the report’s findings, more than a dozen utilities surveyed said their systems were under “daily,” “frequent,” or “constant” attack, with one claiming to be the target of around 10,000 attempted cyber-attacks each month. Source.

 

Chinese and Russian cyber-spies have hacked into the US electricity grid and inserted programs that could be used to disrupt the system, a report said Wednesday.

Quoting unidentified intelligence sources and homeland security officials, the Wall Street Journal said cyber-spies penetrated the system repeatedly last year, without disrupting it.

“The Chinese have attempted to map our infrastructure, such as the electrical grid,” the paper said quoting a senior intelligence official, and “so have the Russians.”

Officials fear bugs have been sown in the system and could be used to disrupt the vital networks at a time of war or crisis.

Cybersecurity is seen by the US government as a major vulnerability, with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano naming it as one of at least 12 areas up for rapid policy review since she took office in January. Source.

Russia and China, who could have known right?

Report: China, Russia Top Sources of Power Grid Probes

Last week, blogs and the mainstream press alike were abuzz with reports that Chinese and Russian hackers had penetrated the U.S. power grid and left behind secret back doors. The original story, a piece in the Wall Street Journal, was light on details, and many readers have asked me if I uncovered additional nuggets of knowledge about the existence of these back doors. I have not.

But I have discovered some interesting data published recently, which seems to support the notion that China and Russia are quite interested in locating digital control systems connected to our nation’s power grid and other complex critical infrastructures.

The data comes from a white paper released late last month by Team Cymru, a group of researchers who try to discover who is behind Internet crime and why. That document sought to provide empirical evidence to show which nations were most active in probing our networks for the presence of highly specialized systems designed to control large, complex systems. These so-called “supervisory control and data acquisition” (SCADA) systems help engineers monitor, communicate with, and control equipment used for energy generation and distribution (SCADA systems also help manage other complex systems, such as water networks, transportation switching systems, etc.). Source.

Another report of hackers attacking the grid back in 2009.

WASHINGTON — Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national-security officials.

The spies came from China, Russia and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls. The intruders haven’t sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war.

“The Chinese have attempted to map our infrastructure, such as the electrical grid,” said a senior intelligence official. “So have the Russians.”

The espionage appeared pervasive across the U.S. and doesn’t target a particular company or region, said a former Department of Homeland Security official. “There are intrusions, and they are growing,” the former official said, referring to electrical systems. “There were a lot last year.” Source

Sorry if you are overwhelmed, but I just want you to realize that is a concern, most people have not been paying attention.

It’s not only a cyber attack though, physical attacks are a danger as well, as seen this month.

There is a power line that runs by my property that if a bad person took a few of the towers out; it would shut off power to a large portion of the northeast. We have those same scenarios all over the country.

I did appreciate that they interjected some real world facts throughout the show, such as how vulnerable our just in time inventory system is. Here is an interesting read showing just how critical it is by the American Truckers Org. Adding realistic news coverage of the past decade was also a benefit in my opinion. I saw news footage of 9/11, Katrina, Sandy, the NYC blackout, and several others. That’s not science fiction, that’s the history of our country over just the past decade.

So let’s break down the scenarios

The biggest issue I had was the college students trapped in the elevator. That is a fear of most people living in a area where they need to take a elevator daily. Being trapped. I think it was the second day where they decided to try and escape.

I would be trying to escape in the first 12 hours; these people were trapped in a 6×6 room and the way the video started, they didn’t appear to know each other.

How long can you go without defecating or urinating? I’m good for about 6 hours. Now multiply that times 4, in a 6×6 room. I’d be trying to get out.

Here is another issue; they show them just popping the service hatch out of the roof of the elevator to escape. The problem with that is hatches are bolted from the outside, they are used to get in for help, not get out. So let’s skip that little tid-bit

They then decide to send up the most least athletic male and female for a escape, I’m not an Olympic athlete and I’m probably 40 pounds overweight, but I have spent a lifetime working out and involved with competitive sports. I doubt I could climb the cables as portrayed by the over weight male and female in the show.

Yet, let’s talk about reality. The cables are heavily greased and there is no way someone could climb them,even with shoelaces as support.

And this is the issue I have with this segment. Instead of showing people what they could do, they instead chose to proliferate the fantasy if you are trapped in a elevator, you just pop the access panel and climb the cable.

Do you know how modern day buildings are built? It’s mostly steel beams with a cement block core for the stair wells for safety reasons. That’s why it says, take the stairs, not the elevator.

So if by some miracle you can get onto the roof of a elevator; what are you going to do, climb a greased cable or punch through drywall? They had a great chance to give people real world advice using how people escaped on 9/11 as an example..

The high rise couple, the boy and the family.

My personal feelings are they portrayed everything that is wrong in this country with the high rise couple.

I have money, I don’t care what is going on around me, I want to be taken care of now, if not I will sue. Why is no one helping us?

In a Urban area, living in a high rise is a worse case scenario. Add on top of that someone with a sense of self importance, it makes it even worse.

If you find yourself in a similar situation and need to shelter in place; here are some recommendations.

1. Charge all portable devices with a usb cable from any laptops ect..
2. Stay away from all downed power lines even if you think they are dead, you don’t know if the power company is working on it up line and when it can become hot.
3. Make sure you know where your gas shut off valve is and unless you are using it keep it shut off.
4. If you do lose electricity; shut off your main breaker on your electrical panel and only turn it back on once you have established electricity has been reconnected to your area.
5. Fill your bath tub with water in case you lose water at your house.
6. If you do lose water do not forget your hot water heater has 40 to 80 gallons of potable water, just drain from the bottom of the tank, make sure tank is off though, do not drain it while it is on.
7. A option for people on well water if you lose power is you can make a well bucket out of simple materials.
8. Along with water, waste is just as important, assemble a simple portable toilet if you lose water and sewage.
9. If you are sheltering in place in a high risk flood area, put a ax in your attic in case you have to retreat there, look at how many people were trapped in attics after Katrina and there have already been reports of people trapped in attics due to Sandy.
10. If you just bought a generator, make sure you are only running it in a well ventilated area, people die every year from missing this basic step
11. Get all your important family documents together, birth certificates, marriage certificate, insurance policy, passport, recent picture of family members etc. Put them in a safe place in case something does happen, you do not want to be searching for them after the fact if you need them
12. Here is a excellent example of a family document binder.
13. If you are in a cold environment and have no heat, shelter in a room on the southern side of your home and seal all doorways into the room to retain heat.
14. Cooking can be a issue if you have no power or fuel but there are a couple low tech methods you can use to overcome that. With some basic material from around the house you can make a Solar Oven.

Or a Brick Rocket Stove

All kitchens should have a swing away can opener; if not you can use a rough surface.

Or a knife.

Last but not least, lets talk about the preppers that are portrayed.

I have seen on others forums and social media heralding them and presenting them as the best prepared; I strongly disagree.

They were the most aware of any of the other portrayals and they messed up on the most basic mantra of a prepper, be the gray man, keep your mouth shut about your preps.

If they had followed these basic steps of prepping, they would have never ended up in the situation they were in.

The Daughter insisted on bringing boyfriend along, but the father should have refused. At that point in time they had no idea how bad the situation was going to become. As far as they knew, the power would be back on in three days. They should have dropped the boyfriend off at his house and said see you in three days; the boyfriend was a unknown.

Once they got there, they showed the boyfriend all their preps and their back up plans. “This is the decoy food, our real food is down here”.

This puts the thought that food is not important, it is just a throw away into the boyfriends mind.

From the first interaction with the neighbor, you can see there is no personal connection; the fact that the neighbor was standing behind 3 strands of barbed wire doesn’t help either. This goes against the 1st rule of being gray.

Posting your property with fencing as portrayed screams, LOOK AT ME! I HAVE SOMETHING!

When the boyfriend gave away the food; this should have been instant expulsion from the home and the location should have been put on lock down security wise.

I also question their fuel storage and what caused him to go outside and defend gasoline. There was one shot where it looked like he was standing in front of four 1000 gallon tanks of propane. Everything in that house including generators should have been run on propane, gas should have been just for bartering.

What are your thoughts?

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