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" FLASH-DRIVE DROP    Where: Parking Lot  Human nature can sometimes provide an easy end run around a strong firewall. An old hacker trick is to drop a USB drive in a public area, then count on the curiosity of passersby to do the rest. When a facility employee plugs the USB drive into his work computer to identify the owner of the device, the drive automatically installs hidden rootkit software that invites the bad guys in. Protection: It may sound mundane, but a good deal of cyber security is awareness and education. Hackers are con artists as well as computer scientists, so employees of infrastructure facilities should be taught not to fall for social-engineering tricks.  INSIDE MAN    Where: Control Station  The most dangerous threat to any facility&amp;#039;s computer system is someone who understands its inner workings. A disgruntled computer tech can install hardware, such as a DSL modem, that enables him to access and control the refinery&amp;#039;s network remotely.  Protection: Split up network maintenance between multiple employees. Keep a detailed inventory of all equipment connected to industrial control systems.  INTERNET ATTACK    Where: Remote Location Attackers have a variety of options for breaking into an industrial facility&amp;#039;s operations: Often, control systems are connected to corporate systems, so commonly known Windows or server vulnerabilities can open a back door into the control room. Some equipment may be so old that it is accessible by dial-up modem. Hackers can search for vulnerable equipment by using a &amp;quot;war-dialer&amp;quot; program that automatically calls through a list of phone numbers looking for modems.  Protection: Experts advocate placing firewalls between corporate networks and control systems and installing access-control software on old equipment.   BREAK-IN    Where: Compressor Station Pipelines and other sprawling infrastructure systems have many remote, unmanned substations. Entry is often a matter of cutting a fence and jacking into the controls with a laptop. Many facilities have wireless access points that could allow attackers to log in from a distance--no bolt cutters required. Protection: Cyber security often means physical security, such as taller fences and tougher locks. Plus, wireless access for critical control systems should be password-protected.   CASCADE EFFECT    Where: Power Plant An attack on one utility can cripple downstream facilities. For example, nearly half the electrical power in California is generated using natural gas. A cyber attack on compressor stations that fuel electrical power plants could result in multistate blackouts. Protection: Upcoming Smart Grid tech will add intelligence to control systems, automatically rerouting power during a crisis.  Status Check: 5 Vulnerable Sectors Transportation Railroads, ship-yards, airports and city traffic systems all rely on centralized computer networks to run smoothly. Last year two Los Angeles traffic engineers pled guilty to accessing the Automated Traffic Surveillance Center and shutting down four traffic lights to influence a union dispute. Finance Modern banking is entirely reliant on digital money transfer and computer data-bases. In January, a tech contractor was indicted for planting a digital &amp;quot;logic bomb&amp;quot; on mortgage giant Fannie Mae&amp;#039;s servers. The malicious code was designed to destroy all data on the company&amp;#039;s network. Telecom The bad news is that telecommunications connects everything, and vulnerabilities are manifest. The good news is that the sprawling system is hard to knock out of commission because of redundant connections across widely distributed fiberoptic lines and backbone computers.  Water It may not be the first target most people think about, but the outdated computer-control systems that regulate the flow of water and wastewater could make easy targets for hackers. In 2006, computers at a Harrisburg, Pa., water-filtering plant were hijacked for the distribution of spam e-mail.  Energy America&amp;#039;s oil and gas pipelines and electrical grid depend on an awkward marriage of antiquated control-system hardware and modern information technology. The infrastructure itself is spread over vast distances and owned by multiple companies. Here are five cyber-security holes in the nation&amp;#039;s energy network--and ways to fix them.  RELATED STORIES * PLUS: How Vulnerable is U.S. Infrastructure to a Major Cyber Attack?  * TECH CLINIC: How to Make Your Webmail Secure  * EARLIER: Practicing Cybersecurity at Home   * TECH CLINIC: How to Stop Your Boss From Spying on You  * PLUS: Four Ways to Fight Back Against Cyber Attacks   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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