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A decade of physical risks generated by industrial systems hacking

A decade of physical risks generated by industrial systems hacking is featuring a remarkable and worrisome acceleration. Indeed, it all started, as far as we know, with the crippling Stuxnex worm attack on the Iranian uranium refining centrifuges. As the title clearly indicates, we will not discuss here the devastating attacks on administrative systems, data repositories, but focus on industrial systems. What is going on Successful hacking on industrial systems seemed to remain “isolated exploits” for a long time. For…

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Innovation in Dams Screening Level Risk Assessment

For some reasons Innovation in Dams Screening Level Risk Assessment feels like an oxymoron. At each new accident organization like MAC produce a new edition of their manuals, for example Developing an Operation, Maintenance, and Surveillance Manual for Tailings and Water Management. The new editions generally represent a strengthening of some rules, but the result is always very similar to the prior edition, does not address systemic failure to properly evaluate risks of old and new facilities. Let’s tackle fundamental…

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Brumadinho tailings dam failures and Boeing 737 Max 8 tragedy offer striking similarities

The Brumadinho tailings dam failures and Boeing 737 Max 8 tragedy offer striking similarities. The tailings dam failure killed at least 169 with 141 still missing and the Boeing 737 Max 8 catastrophe who killed all 157 people on board the Ethiopian Airlines are indeed surprisingly similar in many aspects. The fox looking after the chicken coop is an international problem Reportedly the FAA had to delegate regulation to airlines and manufacturers for a variety of reasons we will not…

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Boeing 737 Max 8 set in risk context

We will look at the recent tragedy of Boeing 737 Max 8 set in risk context. Media have produced numerous fascinating articles on the tragedy, its possible causes, and risk perception. One in particular made our eyebrows raise as it seems to come to astonishing conclusions based on ill-conditioned thinking. Ill-conditioned thinking in articles requires Boeing 737 Max 8 set in risk context We reproduce verbatim part of that article: To appreciate the psychology associated with these events, consider that in…

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