Cyber-attack hits Utah wind and solar energy provider

[dawp]

and so it begins

Cyber-attack hits Utah wind and solar energy provider

First-of-its kind attack to hit a renewable energy provider. Also first cyber-attack to disconnect a US power grid operator from its power generation station.

www.zdnet.com

sPower, a Utah-based renewable energy provider, is in the unenvied posture of holding two unwanted titles.

First, the company is the first-ever US provider of solar and wind renewable energy to have been the victim of a cyber-attack.

Second, the company is the first US power grid operator that is known to have lost connection with its power generation installations as a result of a cyberattack.

who do you think will be next? PG&E? An operator of a nuke plant?

 

[pcgeek11]

Well it looks like it wasn't targeted to power grids or at least a particular power grid.

The attack also didn't appear to be targeted in nature. The documents reveal that the hacker didn't continue their attack nor did they breach sPower's network following the initial exploit that crashed the unpatched firewall.

 

[dawp]

Well it looks like it wasn't targeted to power grids or at least a particular power grid.

The attack also didn't appear to be targeted in nature. The documents reveal that the hacker didn't continue their attack nor did they breach sPower's network following the initial exploit that crashed the unpatched firewall.

saw that, just wonder how many more unpatched devices there are out there in mission critical locactions

 

[pcgeek11]

saw that, just wonder how many more unpatched devices there are out there in mission critical locactions

Thousands probably.

 

[dawp]

Thousands probably.

you would think checking for and installing critical patches would be a required part of the job. seems in this instance the device went unpached for some time.

 

[ch33zw1z]

you would think checking for and installing critical patches would be a required part of the job. seems in this instance the device went unpached for some time.

You would think. But, it's not that way at all. One of the best ways to stay protected is to keep edge devices fully patched, but that takes man power most of the time, and that is costly.

IMXP it's not uncommon to find those jobs outsourced to a contractor and then those "IT" (loosely used) can be anywhere in the world, and work for less pay, no Benes, etc...but, you get what you pay for.

i mean, how many breaches have we heard of due to neglect of basic firmware or software maintenance? Tons.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Would anyone propose possible nation-state suspects?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Would anyone propose possible nation-state suspects?

Texas

 

[dawp]

Texas

not the infamous florida man?

 

[IJTSSG]

Would anyone propose possible nation-state suspects?

I would. This article is a little dated and a little long but a very good read if you're interested in this subject:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/americ...-doorand-russia-walked-through-it-11547137112

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I would. This article is a little dated and a little long but a very good read if you're interested in this subject:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/americ...-doorand-russia-walked-through-it-11547137112

China has been doing that too and likely Iran along with everyone who has an interest.

This is one reason that I would like to see a cluster topology instead of a grid with sharing when necessary but completely isolated from outside hackers. You can't hack what you can't access. Naturally, there should be no external input ports except for extremely limited access for programming needs and those highly secured. This way if a cluster is taken down by whatever means power can be shunted without access to vulnerable software/hardware.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

China has been doing that too and likely Iran along with everyone who has an interest.

This is one reason that I would like to see a cluster topology instead of a grid with sharing when necessary but completely isolated from outside hackers. You can't hack what you can't access. Naturally, there should be no external input ports except for extremely limited access for programming needs and those highly secured. This way if a cluster is taken down by whatever means power can be shunted without access to vulnerable software/hardware.

It's been my experience that when these systems are off the network, they also invite a massive build up of vulnerabilities (because they're "mission critical" and therefore never get patched). Then when something does inevitably happen, it's trivially easy, because there's been years (or sometimes decades) worth of vulnerabilities.

That being said, the Pentagon still does it (they have systems still running Windows 95/98) but they keep them offline. I guess if something bad happened as a result of it, we'd probably never know!

 

[nakedfrog]

You would think. But, it's not that way at all. One of the best ways to stay protected is to keep edge devices fully patched, but that takes man power most of the time, and that is costly.

IMXP it's not uncommon to find those jobs outsourced to a contractor and then those "IT" (loosely used) can be anywhere in the world, and work for less pay, no Benes, etc...but, you get what you pay for.

i mean, how many breaches have we heard of due to neglect of basic firmware or software maintenance? Tons.

Sadly all true.

 

[DarthKyrie]

It's been my experience that when these systems are off the network, they also invite a massive build up of vulnerabilities (because they're "mission critical" and therefore never get patched). Then when something does inevitably happen, it's trivially easy, because there's been years (or sometimes decades) worth of vulnerabilities.

That being said, the Pentagon still does it (they have systems still running Windows 95/98) but they keep them offline. I guess if something bad happened as a result of it, we'd probably never know!

Hell, they still have computers running DOS and Windows 3.1 as well.

 

[ch33zw1z]

It's been my experience that when these systems are off the network, they also invite a massive build up of vulnerabilities (because they're "mission critical" and therefore never get patched). Then when something does inevitably happen, it's trivially easy, because there's been years (or sometimes decades) worth of vulnerabilities.

That being said, the Pentagon still does it (they have systems still running Windows 95/98) but they keep them offline. I guess if something bad happened as a result of it, we'd probably never know!

Thanks Obama, sincerely, MoscowMitch