 | CIA Says Hackers Have Caused Power Outages
In a rare public warning to the power and
utility industry, a CIA analyst this week said cyber attackers have hacked
into the computer systems of utillity companies outside the United States
and made demands, in at least one case causing a power outage that affected
multiple cities. "We do not know who... or why, but all involved
intrusions through the Internet," said Tom Donahue, the CIA's top
cybersecurity analyst. And the U.S. grid is no less vulnerable.
On Thursday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved eight
cybersecurity standards for electric utilities. The U.S. electricity
grid has always been vulnerable to outages. "Cybersecurity is a
different kind of threat, however," said Joseph Kelliher, the
commission's chairman.
The Washington Post and other sources, Sat Jan
19, 2008. |
