Archives
Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack
This is an old (2008) and controversial report. I was reading it to prepare for class and just thought I would share, for what it is worth. Its conclusion: Electrical power is necessary to support other critical infrastructures, including supply and distribution of water, food, fuel, communications, transport, financial transactions, emergency services, government services, and […]
Cyber Round Up: U.S. Tracking Cyber Activity in Syria Conflict, DPRK Hacked ROK Metro System — ROK Legislator, Aircraft Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks — European Official
U.S. Tracking Cyber Activity in Syria Conflict (AirForceTimes): Air Force Lt. Gen. James McLaughlin told the AirForceTimes that since Russia began its airstrikes in Syria, the U.S. began monitoring the cyber landscape for potential cyber threats that could emerge due to the conflict in Syria, the AirForceTimes reported. He did not specify what types of cyber threats […]
Cyber Round Up: First US Cyber Sanctions; US Accidentally Reveals Cyber Vulnerabilities; Cyber Breach South Korea Nuclear Operator; Best Cyber Security Lists 2015
U.S. Sanctions North Korea: President Obama announced on Friday sanctions against 10 North Korean officials and three government entities, Bloomberg reports. These sanctions are believed to be the first time the US has moved to punish any country for cyber-attacks on a US company. North Korea warns the sanctions will be counter-productive as they encourage it […]
Operation Cleaver Cyber Attacks: Is Iran the New China?
“If Operation Cleaver doesn’t get the world to wake up to what is happening in the silent world of cyber, then perhaps nothing will.” – Cylance Report on Operation Cleaver. According to researchers at Cylance, a security startup, a vast number of western organizations have been breached by hackers operating out of Iran. Cylance has […]
US Control Systems Have Been Hacked By Nation States – NSA Director Warns “This Is Not Theoretical”
“The cyber threat is real, this is not theoretical.” – National Security Agency Director Admiral Michael Rogers. At a hearing in Washington today of the House Intelligence Committee, National Security Agency Director Admiral Michael Rogers discussed the nation’s cyber vulnerabilities. Roger set out the three missions of the US Cyber Command: defend DOD’s network, generate […]
New Tech Designed to Protect Infrastructure Against Hackers
With reports of breaches of the nations’ critical infrastructure on the rise, Sierra Nevada Corp. (“SNC”), a systems integrator and electronic systems provider, has partnered with the City of Fort Morgan in Colorado to protect the city’s infrastructure from cyber-attacks. The Binary Armor® SCADA protection system was integrated into the city’s electrical network, and is […]
Cyber Round Up: Government Workers Responsible for Cyber-Incidents?; UK Research to Stop Flight Cyber Jacking; Cyber-Attack on U.S. Water Systems; New Cybersecurity Law in Japan; Israeli Researchers Remotely Hack a Car
To what extend have government workers been responsible for reported cyber-incidents? According to an article by the Associated Press, workers scattered across more than a dozen agencies, from the Defense and Education departments to the National Weather Service, are responsible for at least half of the federal cyber-incidents reported each year since 2010. At a time when […]
Cyber Round Up: Researchers Aimed at Plugging Cybersecurity Holes in UK’s Power Stations; France’s New Cybersecurity Law; China’s Cyberwar on Hong Kong Protestors; Rising Cyber Threats in Software Used in Nuclear Power Plants; Japan Launches Cybersecurity Talks
ZDNET reports that a team of experts will be looking at how to plug security holes in the vital systems that run the UK’s power stations, rail networks and manufacturing plants. According to the report, the researchers aim to improve operational decision making and lay the groundwork for a new, cyber-threat-resilient control architecture for the grid. […]
The Aurora Vulnerability and the Risk for Nuclear Power Plants
In February, an experienced nuclear engineer concluded on the cyber security portal Infosec Island a non-neglectable risk of a potential cyber attack, which, under certain circumstances, could cause a core melt. Due to the contribution, the so-called “Aurora Vulnerability” lies in the alternative current (AC) motors that run the emergency core cooling system, and which can […]
FBI Cyber Chief Testifies Before Senate
On June 12, 2013, Richard A. McFeely, Executive Assistant Director, Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch of the FBI testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee. Largely his remarks simply sounded the alarm about the threat, or, as one expert describes it, “admired the problem”: It is difficult to overstate the potential impact these threats pose […]