A malicious Trojan horse virus has been inserted into systems controlling America’s infrastructure. ABC reports that the systems were penetrated by hackers backed by the Russian government. The threat to America’s infrastructure isn’t new and policymakers and corporations utilizing vulnerable systems should have gotten ahead of this years ago. Here at Richardcyoung.com we’ve been warning about the vulnerability of SCADA systems (the systems that control the operations of America’s infrastructure) for years. Along with an EMP attack, a cyber-attack on SCADA systems is one of the most dangerous forms of attack America could face.
ABC reports here:
A destructive “Trojan Horse” malware program has penetrated the software that runs much of the nation’s critical infrastructure and is poised to cause an economic catastrophe, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
National Security sources told ABC News there is evidence that the malware was inserted by hackers believed to be sponsored by the Russian government, and is a very serious threat.
The hacked software is used to control complex industrial operations like oil and gas pipelines, power transmission grids, water distribution and filtration systems, wind turbines and even some nuclear plants. Shutting down or damaging any of these vital public utilities could severely impact hundreds of thousands of Americans.
DHS said in a bulletin that the hacking campaign has been ongoing since 2011, but no attempt has been made to activate the malware to “damage, modify, or otherwise disrupt” the industrial control process. So while U.S. officials recently became aware the penetration, they don’t know where or when it may be unleashed.
We’ll be bringing you more on this threat in the coming weeks.
