- Cyber attack on Aussie energy services firm may hit UK CNI
August 21, 2023
Operators of critical utility infrastructure across the UK may have been affected by a developing cyber attack on the systems of Energy One, an Australia-based supplier of software and services for the energy sector. The ongoing incident was disclosed via a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) on the morning of Monday 21 August (Sunday ...
- Unknown actor targets power generator with DroxiDat and Cobalt Strike
August 10, 2023
Recently Kaspersky pushed a report about an interesting and common component of the cybercrime malware set – SystemBC. And, in much the same vein as the 2021 Darkside Colonial Pipeline incident, they found a new SystemBC variant deployed to a critical infrastructure target. This time, the proxy-capable backdoor was deployed alongside Cobalt Strike beacons in ...
- Cyberattacks targeting utility firms at ‘alarmingly high levels’
August 2, 2023
Utility firms such as electricity providers have become the new frontier for cyberattacks, reaching “alarmingly high levels” last year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine gave fresh impetus to cyber criminals to attack electricity grids and demand ransoms from energy companies scarcely able to defend themselves due to a cybersecurity ...
- US officials search for hidden Chinese malware that could affect military operations
July 29, 2023
US officials are searching for Chinese malware hidden in various defense systems that could disrupt military communications and resupply operations, The New York Times reported Saturday. The administration believes malicious computer code has been hidden inside “networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water supplies that feed military bases,” officials told the Times. Read more… Source: CNN News
- TSA updates, renews cybersecurity requirements for pipeline owners, operators
July 26, 2023
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced an update to its Security Directive regarding oil and natural gas pipeline cybersecurity. This revised directive will continue the effort to reinforce cybersecurity preparedness and resilience for the nation’s critical pipelines. Developed with input from industry stakeholders and federal partners, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the ...
- Securing Digital Technologies of the Next Generation of Nuclear Reactors
July 25, 2023
All innovations bring potential benefits that could transform industries, but they also bring potential risks. In the nuclear field, advanced nuclear reactors, including small modular reactors (SMRs), are incorporating innovative technologies, particularly digital technologies that yield novel solutions. There is growing interest in SMRs. These advanced nuclear reactors have a limited power capacity — typically ...
- US energy department, other agencies hit in global hacking spree
July 16, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy and several other federal agencies were hit in a global hacking campaign that exploited a vulnerability in widely used file-transfer software, officials said on Thursday. Data was “compromised” at two entities within the energy department when hackers gained access through a security flaw in MOVEit Transfer, the department said in a ...
- Utility cyber threats on the rise, but experts say don’t forget basics
July 12, 2023
“There’s an increase in threat actors targeting critical infrastructure,” said Katell Thielemann, a Gartner research analyst focused on risk and security for cyber-physical systems. “And there’s an enhanced sensitivity that threat actors are probing infrastructure.” Since 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy’s annual summary of electric disturbance events shows an uptick in cyber activity. And cyber ...
- How Computer Security Exercises Help Increase Readiness for Response to Cyberattacks in Nuclear Security
June 20, 2023
Historically, nuclear facilities have focused on securing their nuclear material against malevolent attacks by putting in place physical protection measures such as guns, guards and gates. These measures are still used to successfully build fortresses around nuclear facilities, preventing theft of nuclear or other radioactive material, sabotage or unauthorized access to control systems. However, in recent ...
- Military leaders warn U.S. must prepare for cyber, infrastructure threat
June 16, 2023
The United States must immediately get ready for domestic, cyber-enabled attacks on critical domestic infrastructure and guard against foreign-initiated information operations targeted at the American people, according to speakers and panelists at an Association of the U.S. Army symposium on Wednesday in Arlington, Virginia. Mark Bristow, director of the Cyber Infrastructure Protection Innovation Center (CIPIC) at ...
- Rosenergoatom official says Zaporozhye NPP has to deal with daily cyberattacks
June 15, 2023
Every day, the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP) has to deal with cyberattacks, an adviser to the director general of Russia’s Rosenergoatom nuclear power engineering company has said. “Every day, networks of the Rosenergoatom concern, of the Rosatom state corporation and of the plant’s operating company, JSC Zaporozhye NPP, are subjected to powerful DDoS attacks,” Renat ...
- COSMICENERGY: New OT Malware Possibly Related To Russian Emergency Response Exercises
May 25, 2023
Mandiant identified novel operational technology (OT) / industrial control system (ICS)-oriented malware, which we track as COSMICENERGY, uploaded to a public malware scanning utility in December 2021 by a submitter in Russia. The malware is designed to cause electric power disruption by interacting with IEC 60870-5-104 (IEC-104) devices, such as remote terminal units (RTUs), that are ...
- Energy giant warns of ‘catastrophic damage’ if government bans payment of cyber ransoms
April 26, 2023
A government-imposed ban on companies paying cyber ransoms to hackers could cause “catastrophic damage” and even lead to the loss of Australian lives, the nation’s biggest energy producer has warned. AGL Energy, whose board was recently reshuffled by Atlassian billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, described ransom bans as a dangerous double-edged sword. Read more… Source: 9News
- NATO and European Union launch task force on resilience of critical infrastructure
March 16, 2023
First announced by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in January, the initiative brings together officials from both organisations to share best practices, share situational awareness, and develop principles to improve resilience. The Task Force will begin by focusing on four sectors: energy, transport, digital infrastructure, and space. Announcing ...
- Canada: Cyber attack hits engineering giant with contracts for military bases, power plants
March 9, 2023
A Canadian engineering giant whose work involves critical military, power and transportation infrastructure across the country has been hit with a ransomware attack. Toronto-based Black & McDonald has so far refused to publicly comment on the cyberattack, while the Department of National Defence and other clients of the company have downplayed any impact or damage. Read more… Source: ...
- Blow to Morgan Advanced Materials as cyber-attack to cost millions to deal with
February 7, 2023
Shares in Morgan Advanced Materials tanked 7.5% to 292p this morning after the industrial manufacturer became the latest listed firm to fall victim to a cyber attack which it said would cost millions of pounds to tackle. The 166-year-old firm warned the attack meant some of its IT systems were irrecoverable, and it had been forced ...
- North Korean hackers stole research data in two-month-long breach
February 2, 2023
A new cyber espionage campaign dubbed ‘No Pineapple!’ has been attributed to the North Korean Lazarus hacking group, allowing the threat actors to stealthily steal 100GB of data from the victim without causing any destruction. The campaign lasted between August and November 2022, targeting organizations in medical research, healthcare, chemical engineering, energy, defense, and a leading ...
- Gone Phishing: Hunting for Malicious Industrial-Themed Emails to Prevent Operational Technology Compromises
January 17, 2023
Phishing is one of the most common techniques used to deliver malware and gain access to target networks. This is not only because of its simplicity and scalability, but also because of its efficiency in exploiting vulnerabilities in human behavior. Despite the existence of sophisticated detection tooling and security awareness of phishing techniques, defenders across ...
- New York Adopts Law Protecting Power Grid from Cyber Attacks
January 4, 2023
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation to create cybersecurity protections for the state’s energy grid. The legislation (designated A.3904B/S.5579A) will require utilities to prepare for cyberattacks in their annual emergency response plans, just as they would for storm or other hazards. The new protections also give the Public Service Commission enhanced auditing powers to ensure ...
- Hackers stole data from multiple electric utilities in recent ransomware attack
December 27, 2022
Hackers stole data belonging to multiple electric utilities in an October ransomware attack on a US government contractor that handles critical infrastructure projects across the country, according to a memo describing the hack obtained by CNN. Federal officials have closely monitored the incident for any potential broader impact on the US power sector while private investigators ...