Re: LOTS of US Water Plants Hit by Hacks

On 8/5/26 02:14, rbowman wrote:
> On Wed, 5 Aug 2026 00:58:46 -0400, c186282 wrote:
> 
>> On 8/4/26 03:10, rbowman wrote:
>>> On Mon, 3 Aug 2026 20:50:24 -0400, c186282 wrote:
>>>
>>>>      Anyway, hardware PLCs are pretty stupid - you don't actually hack
>>>>      them directly. They're basically a replacement for a box of relays
>>>>      or equivs. Software PLCs - a uC or even better - are more
>>>>      "computers",
>>>>      oft net-connected these days. An Ard Uno would make a fair
>>>>      software PLC. A low-end PI even better.
>>>
>>> https://www.realpars.com/blog/plc-hardware
>>>
>>> What's a hardware PLC?
>>
>>     There ARE 'chips' ... or, cruder, boards with a lot of transistors.
> 
> Semantics. A transition device was Square D's NorPak system. There were a
> number of different cards that that mounted in a frame similar to  a
> backplane. NOR gates are the simplest so those were the basic building
> blocks. Working with NOR, NAND, and NOT gates leads to brain bleed.
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Norpak-Square-D-8852-L-19-Counter-4-Input-NOR-20-
> Pack-Series-A-FREE-SHIPPING-/282588704448
> 
> 'Programming' was done by stripping wire, crimping on a tapered pin, and
> seating it with a too like an automatic center punch. Solid state relay
> logic...

   Modern PLCs do not involve placing wires.

   HAVE done that, but the new paradigm is
   more 'software" or "software defined"

   These cyber-attacks ... they seem to have
   been aimed at a specific, widely used,
   PLC/programmming paradigm. FAIR chance
   nobody changed the default passwords.

   Governments tend to copy OTHER nearby
   govts ... "State/County X uses THIS and
   thus this justifies US using X".'

   Been there, seen this from the bureaucracy.
   The IDEA is to cover their asses in case
   something goes wrong. "We just did what
   THEY did !!!". Yet another reason I retired.

   It's all M$ Fault regardless, not OUR
   fault !!!

   Anyway, it was interesting to see "PLCs"
   blamed. Sorry, it's NOT the PLCs but
   WAY up the chain.

   CyberIdiocy CAN destroy us.

   What happens when they get into the power
   plants, the NUKE power plants ???