As suggested the day of the blackout, SCADA / DCS security was a primary factor in the blackouts. --MSBlast's Effect on the Blackout (29 August 2003) The MSBlast worm apparently slowed some communications lines that connect data centers used to manage the power grid, abetting the "cascading effect" of the blackout that hit the north-east, mid-west and parts of Canada last month. The worm didn't harm the systems, but did slow down the speed at which networks communicated. A Bush administration advisor said that the worm also "hampered efforts to ... restore power in a timely manner." http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2003/0,4814,84510,00.html Correct after all, this is the second admission of blaster affecting the power systems, one from the Bush administration and one from First Energy. Cheers, Geoff Shively, CHO PivX Solutions, LLC http://www.pivx.com ----- End forwarded message -----