US pipeline attack is latest in list of ransomware attacks
One day, probably in the not-too distant future, a cyber incident will disrupt a piece of critical infrastructure to the extent that lives are lost.
THE TELEGRAPH - SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
By James Titcomb,
SILICON VALLEY BUREAU CHIEF, SAN FRANCISCO
We have already come close. A ransomware attack on a German hospital last year was initially suspected of leading to a patient’s death (an investigation found it was not the culprit). In February, a hacker was able to access a Florida city’s water supply and briefly change the levels of lye in a way that could have poisoned residents.
The latest attack on critical infrastructure came over the weekend, when hackers shut down a major US oil pipeline, leading the country to declare a state of emergency that allowed it to reroute supplies using trucks and sending fuel prices up.
The attack was linked to DarkSide, a skilled Eastern European ransomware gang that has demanded millions of dollars to release files and computer systems in the past.
In a strange twist, the group posted a semi-apologetic message, saying it did not mean to create “problems for society”. The group, which has said it does not go after targets such as hospitals, may be looking to avoid retribution from governments increasingly willing to “hack back”.
Future attackers may not have such foresight. Whether it is hostile states or groups simply motivated by financial interest, energy systems, water supplies and healthcare services are all increasingly targets for hackers.
No security system is perfect. Cyber attacks on critical infrastructure are now a fact of life. Governments must do all they can to mitigate them.
The Telegraph
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
