Electric Grid Hacked By Chinese and Russian Cyberspies
April 7, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
The intruders, who came from countries including China and Russia, were believed to be attempting to map the US electrical system and work out how it was controlled, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal.
Officials said the cyberspies had not tried to damage the grid, but warned they could during a crisis or war.
“The Chinese have attempted to map our infrastructure, such as the electrical grid,” a senior intelligence official told the paper. “So have the Russians.”
The intrusion spread across the country and didn’t target any specific companies or regions, a former Department of Homeland Security official said. “There are intrusions, and they are growing,” the former official said, referring to electrical systems. “There were a lot last year.”
From The Wall Street Journal
Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national-security officials.
The spies came from China, Russia and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls. The intruders haven’t sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war.
“The Chinese have attempted to map our infrastructure, such as the electrical grid,” said a senior intelligence official. “So have the Russians.”
The espionage appeared pervasive across the U.S. and doesn’t target a particular company or region, said a former Department of Homeland Security official. “There are intrusions, and they are growing,” the former official said, referring to electrical systems. “There were a lot last year.”
Many of the intrusions were detected not by the companies in charge of the infrastructure but by U.S. intelligence agencies, officials said. Intelligence officials worry about cyber attackers taking control of electrical facilities, a nuclear power plant or financial networks via the Internet.
Authorities investigating the intrusions have found software tools left behind that could be used to destroy infrastructure components, the senior intelligence official said. He added, “If we go to war with them, they will try to turn them on.”
Officials said water, sewage and other infrastructure systems also were at risk.
I hope we know they are trying to kill us
I have not heard or read as to actually how far these cyberspies have succeded in mapping out our infrastructure. How much power do they have over us at this point and time?
Interesting…and we import how many billions of dollars of goods a year. We are in a tough position. We have an old power grid.
The greed of this nation keeps American’s minds on consumption opposed to conservation and protecting our homeland. Our Banking system creates this mindset being the most unconsciously consuming. The banks are going to be our destruction before China and Russia. If anything, the banks with all their greed should pay for a new state of the art grid. FDIC is a joke when these banks can be bailed out and pay back the money in several months. Like their really was any real loss on their part. I trust China and Russia more than the Banks.