This week, the Trump administration issued a stern warning to industrial companies due to the hacking campaign aimed at the nuclear and energy industries, the new trend is to highlight the power industry's susceptibility to hackings.
Since at May, hackers have made use of 'phishing' emails to collect 'credentials' so they have access to networks of their goals, according to a joint statement by the US Homeland Security Department and the FBI.
The activities of hackers
The report handed to industrial companies was reviewed by the two agencies on Friday.
While revealing attacks and warning that hackers in some cases have passed the networks of their goals, they have not identified specific victims. According to the report, cyber players have strategically positioned the energy sector on different levels, which include cyber spying and the ability to disrupt energy systems in case of hostile confrontation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security are yet to make a statement on the report made available on Jun 28.
On Tuesday, a virus known as 'NotPetya' was attacked; it spread from the initial infections in Ukraine to firms all over the world. The attack encrypted data regarding infected machines, rendering them unusable and disruptive in ports, factories, and law firms.
Lack of evidence to substantiate claims
The report did not confirm the details of the E & E News report, saying that there was no evidence that security systems were affected in the affected installations. The activity described in the US government report comes at a time when industrial companies are particularly concerned with the threats hackers face for their activities.
Industrial firms, including power companies and other utility firms, have been worried about the potential of devastating cyber-attacks since 2016 when hackers could decrease electricity supply in Ukraine.
American nuclear energy generators SCANA Corp. (SCG.N), PSEG (PEG.N), Entergy Corp. and (ETR.N) SCANA Corp. (SCG.N) admitted they were not affected by latest cyber attacks.
SCANA's V.C. The nuclear power industry based in South Carolina was shut down on Thursday by a valve defect in the non-nuclear part of the plant, a spokesman said
On Tuesday, the energy industry reported news website E & E News that American researchers watched multiple nuclear generators on cyber intrusions this year. The report did not confirm the details of the E & E News report, saying that there was no evidence that security systems were affected in the affected installations.
The activity described in the US government report comes at a time when industrial companies are particularly concerned with the threats hackers face for their activities. Industrial firms, including power companies and other utility firms, have been worried about the potential of devastating cyber-attacks since 2016 when hackers could decrease electricity supply in Ukraine.
Two cyber security companies announced on June 12 that they identified the malicious software that was used in the Ukrainian attack, which they called Industroyer warned that it could easily be adapted to attack utility companies in the United States and Europe.
