According to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Russian hackers are attacking critical US infrastructures such as energy networks, nuclear facilities, aviation systems and water treatment plants in the United States, TNW said.
A report describes numerous efforts, at least since March of 2016, where Russian hackers hit government agencies and many areas of critical US infrastructure.
The researchers of Symantec first described the threat in a report last September, noting that the malware could be linked to previous attacks dating back to 2014. Analysis by both the FBI and DHS confirmed a cluster of "distinct behaviors" and ultimately identified "Dragonfly", a sophisticated Kremlin-backed hacker group.
Today's report offers the first time a public confirmation by government officials that this type of attack is, or at least was, an attack by Russian hackers.
FBI and DHS officials pointed to two different categories of victims: stationary and intended targets. For the initial attack, hackers often infiltrated trusted vendors software. Knowing that these targets were often based on less secure websites than their final victim, hackers used a type of trojan horse to install malware that was actually intended for a much larger target.
Today's report did not reveal what the software was, at least not specifically. However, he said the attacks were in "small commercial establishments" and were coordinated and targeted, and not by chance. The hackers allegedly hit vulnerable installations, with operating systems developed a decade ago.
Symantec, in its report, warned that hackers may have the ability to cause mass blackouts, although they were not sure about the scale of the problem.
Today's announcements were accompanied by new sanctions on Russia. The sanctions apply to at least three organizations and 13 individuals. Of these, perhaps the most recognizable is the Internet Research Agency, the so-called "troll farm" responsible for destroying the 2016 presidential election by using Facebook ads meant to divide American public opinion.
The Russian Federal Security Service (russian Federal Security Service), a type of military intelligence, is also on the list.
So the FBI, after Symantec, is officially pointing the finger at Russia for long-term hacking attacks on US infrastructure. Truth or fake news that supports American propaganda? Nobody knows…
