When is a cyber attack not a cyber attack?

When the video feed at BFC fails!

Yesterday I was attempting to listen to the lacklustre performance of Mark Smith from ARUP at about 2:10 when the live feed went down.

The inspector was informed that this was due to a cyber attack and announced this to the inquiry. Very dramatic – who could have been to blame?

In reality we have now discovered that it wasn’t an attack at all.

This is what the programme manager admitted this morning

I am informed that, unfortunately, the server providing the webcast suffered a major power surge yesterday.  This morning the Inspector was told that the webcast was up and running.  I have also been informed that recordings from the first two days of the inquiry should be uploaded sometime this evening and recordings of each day’s sessions will, in future be uploaded during the evening of the relevant day, including today.  I am further informed that a second IP address is being set up to act as a back up system should there be problems with the webcast in future.  Once that IP address has been set up details will be supplied to this office and arrangements will be made to place the second link onto the Programme Officer’s webpage.

Why was this event over-dramatised in this way – was it the sub-contractors employed by Cuadrilla to provide the link who misled the Inspector in this way? I think we should be told!