Foreign cyber attack hits US infrastructure
A cyber strike launched from outside the United States hit a public water system in the Midwestern state of Illinois, an infrastructure control systems expert said on Friday.
“This is arguably the first case where we have had a hack of critical infrastructure from outside the United States that caused damage,” Applied Control Solutions managing partner Joseph Weiss told AFP.
“That is what is so big about this,” he continued. “They could have done anything because they had access to the master station.”
The Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center disclosed the cyber assault on a public water facility outside the city of Springfield last week but attackers gained access to the system months earlier, Weiss said.
The network breach was exposed after cyber intruders burned out a pump.
“No one realized the hackers were in there until they started turning on and off the pump,” according to Weiss.
The attack was reportedly traced to a computer in Russia and took advantage of account passwords stolen during a hack of a US company that makes Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software.
There are about a dozen or so firms that make SCADA software, which is used around the world to control machines in industrial facilities ranging from factories and oil rigs to nuclear power and sewage plants.
Stealing passwords and account names from a SCADA software company was, in essence, swiping keys to networks of facilities using the programs to control operations.
“We don’t know how many other SCADA systems have been compromised because they don’t really have cyber forensics,” said Weiss, who is based in California.
The US Department of Homeland Security has downplayed the Illinois cyber attack in public reports, stating that it had seen no evidence indicating a threat to public safety but was investigating the situation.
Word also circulated on Friday that a water supply network in Texas might have been breached in a cyber attack, according to McAfee Labs security research director David Marcus.
“My gut tells me that there is greater targeting and wider compromise than we know about,” Marcus said in a blog post.
“Does this mean that I think it is cyber-Armageddon time?” Marcus continued. “No, but it is certainly prudent to evaluate our systems and ask some questions.”
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did this get much media time?
“”They could have done anything because they had access to the master station.”
and traced to russia..of course..wonder if they have heard of proxys..just becuase its traced to russia doesnt mean it came from there..
401
“infrastructure control systems”…1st, I am surprised to hear that America still has a functioning infrastructure to control. 2nd, this is real scary shit. This kind of cyberspace warfare can totally dismantle the social and economic fabric of a city, of a country, and without the cost of armies, jets, tanks and nuclear weapons. If they can shut down the waterworks, what is next?
did you see it on your news?
I live in Illinois and it wasn’t on our news. Makes you think it’s just another convenient reason/excuse for upgrades that weren’t done by the corporations or government agencies that were supposed to. Instead, we the people, pay for everything, while they collect the profits. There’s too many convenient ‘threats’ that ‘could’ happen out there, and if you notice, they’re all about infrastructure and GPS – cyberwars- highly suspicious. Reeks of a coming false flag event! As far as Russia or China…welcome to the new artificial ‘cold war’, where nations leaders work hand in hand with corporations building and globalizing the world on your dime and your life. When the time comes to pay for it, and throw in a little added bonus of population control, they will start the war.
strange how they always know its russia or china..
In relatively recent memory we deliberately targeted the water supply of Iraq in a policy intended to cause many thousands of deaths. We bombed the Great Manmade River that was the water source for over 4 million people.
We have attempted to privatize other nations’ own water so we can sell it to them. Quite possibly there are instances where we have succeeded of which I’m unaware.
Here at home we defile ordinary people’s drinking water via fracking, coal mining, uranium extraction, other hardrock mining. We actually debate on the advisability of running a foreign tarsands pipeline for the benefit of our largest economic rivals through our nation’s largest aquifer.
In the first place, I believe this is a hoax in retaliation for Russia’s attempt to block our invasion of Syria. But even if it were proven that a foreign government targeted our infrastructure, it falls so far short of our own misdeeds that it is hard to get too excited about it.
very well said..water is so vital..its an obvious target..the hack could have come from anywhere really..