Our power grid and other utility systems are a place that have a particular fine line between networked and overnetworked. On one hand, a system that can never go down benefits from being able to be monitored and controlled remotely, adding redundant systems. Power grids are often dangerous, and in the case of an accident, remote control provides workers safety. On the other hand, having such infrastructure on a network makes it instantly vulnerable. Because such a system affects such a large spread of people, even a small, brief attack can mean widespread catastrophe. Protecting power grids and infrastructures is especially crucial, as they are targeted not only by independent hacking groups, but even countries and political groups with malicious intent. In recent, many attacks have already been made on power grids by extremists, both in real life and over the internet, with the goal of causing some sort of power outage. The more the grid is on the internet, the easier this will be to do.
In this case study, we saw a woman (Sara) being mocked and ridiculed for a suggestion she made, to take the factory’s systems offline. It’s unclear whether the consultant was hired as a result of Sara’s suggestion or would have been hired anyways — either way, an expensive consultant was hired to essentially tell the board exactly what Sara had said. Indeed, the board may have taken more consideration because of the consultant’s research and background, but the gender and power dynamics here cannot be denied — Sara’s position as a deputy and identity as a woman unfortunately made her suggestion seem trivial to the others; even the association may have turned people off the idea entirely.
If the CEO not listened to her, it’s more than cheese security that would’ve been lost. The CEO was right to pick up on the fact that his board was becoming a single-minded echo chamber, and a challenge to this at the very least caused consideration for an alternative.
