Ari Natter
Hackers increasingly threaten sites inward the U.S. ranging from nuclear mightiness plants to H2O processing systems, according to a fellow member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, adding his vox to warnings from several agencies in addition to officials inward recent weeks. "Cyberattacks guide keep the potential to campaign significant, widespread impacts on unloosen energy infrastructure," Commissioner Neil Chatterjee said Fri inward an emailed reply to questions. "Sophisticated hacking tools are becoming to a greater extent than widely available, in addition to cyber threats are constantly evolving, making such attacks to a greater extent than versatile." Chatterjee’s remarks underscore the alert growing afterwards the FBI in addition to the Department of Homeland Security issued a report earlier this calendar month maxim that Russian hackers guide keep been attacking the electrical grid, mightiness plants, air shipping facilities in addition to targets inward the commercial in addition to manufacturing sectors -- attempting to gain remote access or install malware or brand pike phishing attempts.
A written report released past times the Energy Department concluding twelvemonth warned that the country’s mightiness grid was inward "imminent danger" from a cyber attack.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry said on Th agreed that the attacks linked to the Russians were an "act of war."
"We are making I intend every effort to protect the electrical grid from those types of attacks," Perry said inward testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I concur the United States in addition to the remainder of the earth demand to send a rattling powerful message to Russian Federation relative to around of their activities."
He has said cyber-attacks are happening hundreds of thousands of times a day.
Even the Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees the reliability of the electrical grid, hasn’t been immune from the attacks. The U.S. Justice Department on Fri charged nine Iranian citizens alongside hacking hundreds of companies, academic institutions in addition to regime agencies to pocket to a greater extent than than $3.4 billion inward merchandise secrets in addition to other information on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Among the victims: FERC.
“While the direction has taken meaning steps to address cyber threats to our critical infrastructure, I believe that these threats volition proceed to grow," Chatterjee said.
Among the to a greater extent than recent targets are the Colorado Department of Transportation, where to a greater extent than than 2,000 computers near downwardly afterwards it was breached inward a ransomware attack; in addition to the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, which operates the Trans-Alaska crude pipeline that transports roughly roughly 500,000 barrels of unsmooth a day.
"We know they are trying" but guide keep in addition to thence far been unsuccessful, Kate Dugan, a spokeswoman for Alyeska, said. "The number grows every year."
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