From the showtime , the Trump administration has seemed loath to impose any form of consequences on Russia or blame it for hacking activity against the US . On Thursday , however , the dam break . The Treasury Department imposed delayed endorsement and two intel agencies go forth a warning that “ Russian government cyber player ” had “ gain distant entree into free energy sector networks ” over the last two years .
TheTechnical Alertwas credit to the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) . For the first time , the agencies have in public accused hackers working on behalf of the Russian government of implementing a “ multi - stage invasion movement ” that targeted “ government entities and multiple U.S. decisive substructure sector , including the energy , nuclear , commercial adroitness , water , airmanship , and decisive manufacturing sphere . ”
The alert claim the military campaign has been operate on since at least March of 2016 and that the motive seems to be focus on spy and collecting data . Typical attacks likespear - phishingemails andwatering - holedomains were listed as the method acting used to hit entree to somebody or companies that were peripherally - related to their master targets . The hacker apparently used those compromised system to entice industrial control systems personnel department with malware - loaded Word docs disguise as legitimate résumés , invitation , and policy documents .
Anyone who ’s followed reports from private security measure companies over the last distich of years will receive the details in the alerting to be intimate , but the US government seldom jump into finger pointing on cyber attacks . The Trump administration itself has acknowledged the US intel residential area ’s stopping point that Russia was involved in various forms of cyber - tampering to tempt the 2016 election , but Trump himself has wavered on that power point . The White House caught flak forslow - walkingthe effectuation of fresh sanctions against Russia but on Thursday itfollowed through .
The young sanctions aim the same risky histrion involved with the Internet Research Agency that were identified last month in anindictmentby Special Counsel Robert Mueller . On top of hacking bodily process associate to the presidential elections , the Treasury Department accused Russia of being creditworthy for theNotPetya cyberattackthat get chaos with system around the world last June .
It ’s deserving noting thatprevious reportsof Russian hackers penetrate the US electric grid have proven to beexaggeratedand it ’s undecipherable what kind of damage could be inflicted if the attackers decide to take advantage of their access to control systems . Russia has antecedently beenaccusedof using cyberweapons to cause blackouts in the Ukraine .
Today ’s alert also confirmed a Symantecreportfrom last year that detailed the piece of work of a hacking group identified as “ Dragonfly . ” Symantec ’s psychoanalysis is say to have provided “ extra selective information ” in the probe of Russia ’s activity .
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry set up a young Office of Cybersecurity , Energy Security , and Emergency Responselast monthto help address the cyber - threats his section faces . At aCongressional subcommittee hearingon Thursday , he primarily sharpen on his propose cuts to the DOE ’s budget but he acknowledged that leading the humankind in confronting cyberthreats “ is a responsibility that weighs heavily on the shoulders of the United States . ”
[ US - CertviaPolitico , New York Times ]
CybersecurityHackingRussia
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