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Computer System Failure in ATL...

Old 11-19-2009, 06:56 AM
  #11  
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It happened about a year ago, as I recall. DEN was fine, but ATL went down.
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Old 11-19-2009, 07:02 AM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by rickair7777 View Post
Anything really important is physically isolated...ie you can't get to it via the internet. You would need to penetrate layers of physical security to even access a network node. Not to say it's impossible, but now you need James Bond as opposed to a socially-inept adolescent.
I'd be more concerned with the fact that the FAA has essentially moved from having a private dedicated network with leased lines to run their infrastructure to a "shared" infrastructure, that also carries the Internet. Specifically, the FAA (a sub-contractor) has reached out to service providers and have asked them to cut a "slice" of their infrastructure off to place the FAA network in. This is all done in the name of cost reduction. Building your own private network with your own gear, circuits, etc costs a lot of money. Buying circuits to a service provider and having their gear terminate and handle the routing is a low-cost option (aka L3VPN, L2VPN).

The problem with this is that sensitive FAA data is routing through the same layer-3 equipment that transports your porn and APC rumors. Any misconfiguration (aka provisioning error) of the routers involved and you could run into a situation where perhaps Al-Jazeeras VPN that they use between offices has visibility into the FAA. That's a worst case scenario, another scenario is that when you use shared infrastructures, attacks from the Internet could also cripple the same equipment. No matter what, Internet related events should not be riding alongside FAA bits.

There's a lot more to be worried about, but when we start sacrificing security for cost reductions, bad things happen.
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Old 11-19-2009, 07:15 AM
  #13  
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The trick is we need to put the money we spend in taxes in to programs like this. Not some of the other fluff. I agree with everything you are saying Tortue
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Old 11-19-2009, 10:10 AM
  #14  
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This just in: We have secured undercover photos of air traffic personnel attempting to rectifiy the problems. At least three programmers are hurriedly correcting the program

File:Eniac.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

File:Two women operating ENIAC.gif - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Old 11-19-2009, 11:10 AM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by FlyJSH View Post
This just in: We have secured undercover photos of air traffic personnel attempting to rectifiy the problems. At least three programmers are hurriedly correcting the program

File:Eniac.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

File:Two women operating ENIAC.gif - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bwahahahaha! Someday, you'll have integrated circuits running the air traffic system.
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Old 11-20-2009, 07:02 AM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by tortue View Post
I'd be more concerned with the fact that the FAA has essentially moved from having a private dedicated network with leased lines to run their infrastructure to a "shared" infrastructure, that also carries the Internet. Specifically, the FAA (a sub-contractor) has reached out to service providers and have asked them to cut a "slice" of their infrastructure off to place the FAA network in. This is all done in the name of cost reduction. Building your own private network with your own gear, circuits, etc costs a lot of money. Buying circuits to a service provider and having their gear terminate and handle the routing is a low-cost option (aka L3VPN, L2VPN).

The problem with this is that sensitive FAA data is routing through the same layer-3 equipment that transports your porn and APC rumors. Any misconfiguration (aka provisioning error) of the routers involved and you could run into a situation where perhaps Al-Jazeeras VPN that they use between offices has visibility into the FAA. That's a worst case scenario, another scenario is that when you use shared infrastructures, attacks from the Internet could also cripple the same equipment. No matter what, Internet related events should not be riding alongside FAA bits.

There's a lot more to be worried about, but when we start sacrificing security for cost reductions, bad things happen.
Very true, I was talking about the defense agencies...there are many other government and infrastructure organizations which are not well protected at all.
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Old 11-20-2009, 01:42 PM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by rickair7777 View Post
Very true, I was talking about the defense agencies...there are many other government and infrastructure organizations which are not well protected at all.
You will know a lot more about that than me, but watch the 60 Minutes piece. Someone was able to get into CENTCOM's network and see all communications, troop movements, everything for three days. It was done by someone leaving memory sticks laying around and a soldier picking one up and hooking into a networked computer. Once plugged in, the stick sent a code that allowed the user/hacker access to the entire network. Apparently we aren't as protected as some would want us to believe.
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Old 11-20-2009, 06:48 PM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by DAL4EVER View Post
60 Minutes did an interesting piece within the past couple of weeks on cyberwarfare. They claim the Chinese Army and organized crime units in Russia, Europe and the America's are constantly hacking into our government computer networks. One of the things they said was a concern was that these hacks could affect, in particular, air traffic. So when I hear that a system just "went down", me thinks bigger things are afoot.

Apparently one such hack last year allowed the hacker to break into CENTCOM's mainframe and download three days worth of information regarding all intel, troop movements, communications, etc. Very scary stuff. The hacker(s) was never caught.
I bet it was a "DAL North" guy!!
fbh
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Old 11-21-2009, 05:41 PM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by tortue View Post

The problem with this is that sensitive FAA data is routing through the same layer-3 equipment that transports your porn and APC rumors.
If they start jamming my porn there will be he11 to pay.
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