What is so hard to understand? The news is full of Russian hacking of our utility computers. Obviously the nuke plants are critical but power networks are very critical. Even the fossil fuel stations and water system plants are computer controlled. Many of the chemicals used to make our drinking water safe is poisonous if too much is put in the water lines. On the other end is the computer running the sewage systems and we don’t want that one blocked up!

Air gaping means the computer operating the station, plant or system is self contained. That means no social media games, personnel records, purchasing, or anything not absolutely required to operate. No carryover of updates or added operating programs without them being extremely thoroughly checked to keep viruses out of the operating systems. It is always answering an e-mail, a game, or one recent hack was a job application.

If we can’t protect ourselves now, how can we expect to be sure we can flip a light switch or open a water faucet and get the desired result during a troubled time? Maybe the hacks over few years did not do anything now but left a virus with a time delay. If we are going to let computer programs run our lives, we need to air gap all the military, public and private systems!