The United States federal government has discovered malware that breaches industrial control systems. This new malware uses a piece of inbuilt code to disrupt and devastate critical infrastructure within a given country. The targets include power grids, factories, water utilities, and oil refineries.
The US Department of Energy, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the NSA, and the FBI released a joint statement explaining the uncovered malware and what damage it could potentially inflict on a massive amount of various industries across the nation.
One of the terrifying aspects of this malware is its ability to completely take control of a device, such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) distributed by Schneider Electric and OMRON. These PLCs are manufactured to serve as a bridge between modern computer actuators and sensors in industrial environments.
Sergio Caltagirone, VP of cybersecurity firm Dragos, states, "This is the most expansive industrial control system attack tool anyone has ever documented. It's like a Swiss Army knife with many pieces to it." Caltagirone's firm Dragos was integral, along with Microsoft, Schneider Electric, and Palo Alto, in contributing to the government's actions after the
discovery.
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