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Was Mysterious Power Grid Attack Dress Rehearsal For Larger Assault?
A mysterious attack on an electrical substation and fiber optic cables in California’s Silicon Valley last spring has the FBI, intelligence officials and members of Congress worried – and some officials even think the “military-style” attack may have been a dress rehearsal for an all-out assault on the electrical and communications grids.
Congressman Henry Waxman (D-California) described the incident as “an unprecedented and sophisticated attack on an electric grid substation with military-style weapons.”
“Communications were disrupted. The attack inflicted substantial damage. It took weeks to replace the damaged parts. Under slightly different conditions, there could have been serious power outages or worse.”
Even though the attack was ignored by national media, its nature was worrisome enough to prompt an FBI investigation, Congressional hearings and a $250,000 reward offer from AT&T. Most disturbing of all the attack was decidedly simple and low tech. The attack was described in a Foreign Policy magazine story.
What happened and why officials are worried
Here are the details of the incident that has federal officials and power company executives so worried:
Someone last year entered the Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Metcalf substation in South San Jose, California, around 1 a.m. through manholes. The unidentified intruder or intruders cut a number of fiber optic cables, which knocked out landline service, some local 911 local service and cell phone service in the area.
Source: http://www.offthegridnews.com/2013/12/31/was-mysterious-power-grid-attack-dress-rehearsal-for-larger-assault/
