This would not be the first and only time I’ve brought up cyber attacks in relation to preparedness. I have, at least, glanced over the topic on one or two occasions. This time, perhaps the threat is more real than many believed in the past.
We’ve mostly all pondered at the dreadful thought of the power grid going down to a cyber attack, especially in relation to nuclear plants. This time, it’s more direct, more sinister, and could affect a nation in just days. Cyber attackers have gotten ransomware into the servers at Sobey’s, one of Canada’s largest grocers.
While the nation is distracted by political strife, ransomware attackers have caused a huge lockdown of computers at the grocer, demanding 500 bitcoin or appox. $11.6 million CAD. No doubt these corporations could pay the demand, but why trust them to unlock systems once they get their hands on the cash?
Retail grocers will log onto the corporations computer system to order in foodstuffs on a daily basis. The goods are usually delivered overnight or early the next day. Removing the ability to restock, would, as we know, lead to empty shelves in about 3 days. The one important thing we have not considered in this estimate is the instant proliferation of information that today’s world wide web has brought into society. Once the general public becomes aware of a possible disruption in supply, I would suspect that shelves would empty in mere hours.
In the race for increased efficiency, society has left itself vulnerable to hacking. Simply put, the more we computerize, the more systems will be open to cyberattacks. Computers now run systems like ordering food for grocery stores to power systems, banking, government services and more.
The reality is smacking us all in the face right now. Anything connected to the internet can be stopped with some software and a little knowledge, and we’re rushing to connect more and more every day.