Jan Verplancke, the chief information officer of Standard Chartered, says that international banks build their large computer systems in the places that have the most reliable communications and power networks and are least prone to natural disasters.

ECONOMIST: Winners and losers

But in large corporate computer systems, these patches can have an impact on other internal systems.

CNN: Sasser worm rips through Internet

Perfect Citizen will look at large, typically older computer control systems that were often designed without Internet connectivity or security in mind.

WSJ: U.S. Program to Detect Cyber Attacks on Infrastructure

Kevin Mitnicks crime was to thumb his nose at the costly computer security systems employed by large corporations.

FORBES: The demonizing of a hacker

But experts say a successful, large-scale attack on U.S. computer systems could hobble electric-power grids, transportation networks and industrial-supply chains.

CNN: U.S. at risk of cyberattacks, experts say

Uncertainty quantification, or "UQ, " is the quantitative characterization and reduction of uncertainty in computer applications through running very large suites of calculations to characterize the effects of minor differences in the systems.

ENGADGET: NNSA Sequoia supercomputer takes worlds fastest title, prevents nuclear testing

At an operations control center in the English city of Derby, a handful of railway engineers spend their days focusing intently on four large wall-mounted computer screens displaying data about the conditions of the engines, the heating and cooling systems and whether a door might be jammed on any of 33 Scottish trains.

FORBES: The Great Train Catch-Up