I can't believe this story hasn't been discussed more.

I was catching up on my reading and found this news story buried in obscurity: Information Week reports the CIA has confirmed that foreign cities have experienced power blackouts due to cyberattacks. While the attacks seem to have been criminal in nature (I've seen scattered reports of Chinese hackers attempting to attack US government networks), this is a big sign of the future. When hostile nations like North Korea, Iran, or China attack us in the future, it won't be with missiles or atomic weapons--they understand that we would respond in kind and destroy their civilizations. They'll attack our power grids, our banks, and our telecommunications via the internet.

I hope our privately-held utilities are paying attention and are taking basic security precautions. You know, like not using Windows on sensitive systems and not allowing WiFi access to those same systems. The other interesting part of the story is that the CIA feels it's likely that the cyberattacks in question involved insider help. This is why you need to make sure your computing is secure: somebody is always willing to sell you out if you don't take the right steps.

CDs listened to today:

• Luciano Berio: Continuo
• Cure: Bloodflowers
• Matias Aguayo: Are You Really Lost
• William Childs: Concerto For Solo Percussionist