From: UtilityDIVE
Dive Brief:
- Security firm Symantec warned that a group of hackers has targeted the power sector in Europe and the United States, potentially gaining operational access.
- The group, identified as Dragonfly 2.0, has operated since 2011. But Symantec reported an uptick in their activity in 2015, and noted it targeted dozens of energy companies in the spring and summer of this year. The attackers use malicious emails, watering hole attacks and Trojanized software to gain access to networks.
- The firm stopped short of identifying where the attackers originated from, noting some code strings were in Russian as well as French. Symantec told Wired that it sent warnings about the group to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and the Department of Homeland Security.
Dive Insight:
Cybersecurity is at the forefront of grid security discussions, and the latest report from Symantec underscores the severity of the threat. In Utility Dive’s latest sector survey of more than 600 utility professionals, respondents named physical and cybersecurity the most pressing issue facing their companies today.
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