Hackers have a new target in the sights: the powr plants and other basic infrastructure around the world, which want to control operations. This has intensified efforts to strengthen security measures dilapidated and vulnerable systems.
Cyber criminals have long sought - sometimes successfully - to penetrate network of major facilities. In July, the researchers found a computer code called "worm" (worm), created specifically to take control of the systems that run the internal operation of industrial plants.
The vulnerability is probably larger in countries like the U.S., where 85% of critical infrastructure in private hands, which control power plants and nuclear power, transportation systems and other vital services.
"The ability to interfere with industrial control systems has increased," said Sean McGurk, director of the office of security control systems of the Department of Homeland Security of the United States. "This type of malicious code and others we've seen in recent times strike the physical components of a system, the devices that open and close doors, which make cars. Do not simply point to the ones and zeros (computer codes ), take aim at the aircraft by physical processes "of a plant.
It is unclear whether the "worm" has already affected some system of operations.
In the past, hackers trying to penetrate the computer systems of a firm to steal or manipulate information. Such interference sometimes caused the suspension of operations.
But last year the threat increased when hackers began exploiting weaknesses in the systems that control the operation of a plant.
The "worm" latest, called Stuxnet, more disturbing still, because they are creating code that can assume control of systems.
Often plants operating systems and other facilities are old and are not fully independent computer networks that employ firms to manage their business operations or control access to the internet itself.
That connection administrative network control systems give hackers the ability to insert code, viruses or "worms" harmful programs that operate the plants.
The "worm" was discovered in Germany and has been used in several attacks, especially in Iran, Indonesia, India and the United States, according to Microsoft. Stuxnet tried to infect 6,000 computers to mid-July, according to Microsoft.
The virus could penetrate some operating systems that contain software designed by the German company Siemens AG, exploiting a vulnerability in several versions of Microsoft Windows program.
Both Microsoft and Siemens are taking steps to tackle the problem.
The U.S. authorities have prepared reports detailing the vulnerabilities of industrial computer systems and has called on firms to improve their security measures, using the latest software, change and keys, restricting access to critical systems and using firewalls to isolate the networks that control the basic systems.
The Department of Energy United States warned in May that a successful attack on control systems "can cause catastrophic damage."
In the past year, the Homeland Security Department sent to different parts of the country teams of experts to analyze the vulnerability of industrial control systems. That unit set up four teams and plans to form another ten in the next year.These experts identified nine cases of infiltration, including one in which a corporate executive went to a conference and copied the presentation to a memory stick (flash drive).
One document was infected with the virus Mariposa, which has been detected in 12 million computers worldwide, including 40 large banks.
When the executive returned to his office and his computer connected to the corporate network, the virus spread and attacked another 100 computers.
Cyber criminals have long sought - sometimes successfully - to penetrate network of major facilities. In July, the researchers found a computer code called "worm" (worm), created specifically to take control of the systems that run the internal operation of industrial plants.
The vulnerability is probably larger in countries like the U.S., where 85% of critical infrastructure in private hands, which control power plants and nuclear power, transportation systems and other vital services.
"The ability to interfere with industrial control systems has increased," said Sean McGurk, director of the office of security control systems of the Department of Homeland Security of the United States. "This type of malicious code and others we've seen in recent times strike the physical components of a system, the devices that open and close doors, which make cars. Do not simply point to the ones and zeros (computer codes ), take aim at the aircraft by physical processes "of a plant.
It is unclear whether the "worm" has already affected some system of operations.
In the past, hackers trying to penetrate the computer systems of a firm to steal or manipulate information. Such interference sometimes caused the suspension of operations.
But last year the threat increased when hackers began exploiting weaknesses in the systems that control the operation of a plant.
The "worm" latest, called Stuxnet, more disturbing still, because they are creating code that can assume control of systems.
Often plants operating systems and other facilities are old and are not fully independent computer networks that employ firms to manage their business operations or control access to the internet itself.
That connection administrative network control systems give hackers the ability to insert code, viruses or "worms" harmful programs that operate the plants.
The "worm" was discovered in Germany and has been used in several attacks, especially in Iran, Indonesia, India and the United States, according to Microsoft. Stuxnet tried to infect 6,000 computers to mid-July, according to Microsoft.
The virus could penetrate some operating systems that contain software designed by the German company Siemens AG, exploiting a vulnerability in several versions of Microsoft Windows program.
Both Microsoft and Siemens are taking steps to tackle the problem.
The U.S. authorities have prepared reports detailing the vulnerabilities of industrial computer systems and has called on firms to improve their security measures, using the latest software, change and keys, restricting access to critical systems and using firewalls to isolate the networks that control the basic systems.
In the past year, the Homeland Security Department sent to different parts of the country teams of experts to analyze the vulnerability of industrial control systems. That unit set up four teams and plans to form another ten in the next year.These experts identified nine cases of infiltration, including one in which a corporate executive went to a conference and copied the presentation to a memory stick (flash drive).
One document was infected with the virus Mariposa, which has been detected in 12 million computers worldwide, including 40 large banks.
When the executive returned to his office and his computer connected to the corporate network, the virus spread and attacked another 100 computers.
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