[LINK] Linux saves Aussie electrical grid

[Stilgherrian]

On 10/10/2009, at 3:18 AM, Kim Holburn quoted the meedja as saying:
>> However in Oz there could be some concern that notoriously insecure
>> Windows machines were even being used for critical infrastructure
>> systems. The Slashdot submission says that the power grid's system
>> control and data acquisition (SCADA) servers run Solaris Unix and
>> the operator consoles only really need to run X-windows displays.
>> The question is why the utility would choose to run X on Windows
>> boxes merely to talk to the UNIX-based SCADA servers that control
>> the electrical grid.

It's no so much that the infected machines run Windows, though that  
does allow people to unfurl that tattered old "Windows is bad, m'kay?"  
banner.

The real questions is why machines on the "critical infrastructure"  
network which runs the grid via SCADA were able to be accessed by the  
infection in the first place. Either someone's running Internet- 
connected machines on the same physical network bad) or someone  
plugged in infected removable media (also bad).

Stil


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