Cisco aids Ukraine in cyber defense with modified switches to counter Russian attacks

Cisco has proactively shipped modified switches to Ukrenergo, the state-owned electricity grid operator in Ukraine, to bolster its defenses against Russian cyberattacks targeting energy infrastructure. These attacks have included the use of GPS-jamming tactics, which disrupt the high-voltage energy subsystems Read More …

Sandworm Disrupts Power in Ukraine Using a Novel Attack Against Operational Technology

In late 2022, Mandiant responded to a disruptive cyber physical incident in which the Russia-linked threat actor Sandworm targeted a Ukrainian critical infrastructure organization. This incident was a multi-event cyber attack that leveraged a novel technique for impacting industrial control Read More …

Redfly: Espionage Actors Continue to Target Critical Infrastructure

Espionage actors are continuing to mount attacks on critical national infrastructure (CNI) targets, a trend that has become a source of concern for governments and CNI organizations worldwide. Symantec’s Threat Hunter Team has found evidence that a threat actor group Read More …

UK: National Grid plots ‘honeypots’ to catch hackers as cyber attacks ramp up

National Grid is to set “honeypots” and plant false documents online as part of efforts to counter a surge in cyber attackers. The Grid has advertised a contract worth more than a million pounds to secure advanced cyber “deception” technology Read More …

Cyberattacks targeting utility firms at ‘alarmingly high levels’

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 Read More …

US officials search for hidden Chinese malware that could affect military operations

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, Read More …

Utility cyber threats on the rise, but experts say don’t forget basics

“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 Read More …

COSMICENERGY: New OT Malware Possibly Related To Russian Emergency Response Exercises

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 Read More …

New York Adopts Law Protecting Power Grid from Cyber Attacks

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 Read More …

Electricity/Energy Cybersecurity: Trends & Survey Response

Trend Micro conducted a study on the state of industrial cybersecurity in the oil and gas, manufacturing, and electricity/energy industries in 2022. Based on the results of a survey of over 900 ICS business and security leaders in the United Read More …