“Researchers say that hackers caused a December power outage in Ukraine — an attack that came after years of warnings about the digital security of the power grid. But some say that we should be more worried about a different, furrier threat. Squirrels. They can strike at almost any moment — gnawing through the insulation guarding power lines or burrowing into substations in risky missions that can leave thousands without power at a time. The bushy-tailed rodent has even sparked economic mayhem: Back in 1987, a rogue squirrel took out the power to a NASDAQ computer center for nearly an hour and half, stopping an estimated 20 million shares from being traded, according to the New York Times.”
Source: Are squirrels a bigger threat to the power grid than hackers? – The Washington Post
