Stuxnet-Like Malware From Russia Is Attacking U.S/Euro Power Plants

originally posted by: Silcone Synapse

Civilisation disintergrates in less than a week.

Tribal gang anarchy within a couple of months.

Global meltdown and worse in 6 months.

I think you take videogames and apocalyptic fiction just a bit too seriously.

a reply to: Silcone Synapse
Who originally wrote this virus, I think I'd place blame there.
Must have been some subversive nation for sure!

On the issue of how malware get there

Corporate spies have found an effective way to plant their malware on the networks of energy companies and other industrial heavyweights—by hacking the websites of software companies and waiting for the targets to install trojanized versions of legitimate apps.

That's what operators of the Havex malware family have done with aplomb, according to a report published Tuesday by researchers from antivirus provider F-Secure. Over the past few months, the malware group has taken a specific interest in the types of industrial control systems (ICS) used to automate everything from switches in electrical substations to sensitive equipment in nuclear power plants. In addition to the normal infection channels of spam e-mail, the malware operators have added a new tack—replacing the normal installation files of third-party software with tainted copies that surreptitiously install a remote access trojan (RAT) on the computers of targeted companies.

Link

Place hacked copies of software update files that the site will be download in normal business.

Air gaps between networks can be jumped.

originally posted by: Wookiep
I saw this come through on FB yesterday as well. A good question was asked there, so I'll ask it here. Why is the grid connected to the internet? It seems pretty stupid to me.

It has to be lol thats why! They need the ability to monitor in real time. Russia already did this to a small country years ago. However I highly doubt they have the ability to do anything and are probably in a virtualization with the security professionals documenting the activity "honey pot". If they have the ability to activily damage things at will then they are remotely connected however a virus will only excute what it was first programed to do and cant be changed later. Closings off the correct ports and scrubbing the system in sections with containment of systems infected will solve the problem. Im sure all information is backed up in as well at a data center.

Scare tactics

Do you really belive they found a zero day virus and are helpless to stop it from attacking lol after months of watching it on their systems?