Crime

Homeland Security: Attacks on U.S. Infrastructure on the Rise

  • Cyber attacks on U.S. infrastructure are up to 342 reported so far this year from 116 in 2010.
  • The Homeland Security Department’s Cyber Analysis Center tracks and responds to infrastructure threats and intrusions.
  • Reporting intrusions or threats is currently voluntary and up to the private utility company.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (The Blaze/AP) — It‘s only natural for our country’s power grids, water systems and other infrastructure to start hooking up to the Internet, but this is making them increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks. Attacks that the Homeland Security Department says are increasing.

According to the Homeland Security Department, Control System Security Program cyber experts responded to 116 requests for assistance in 2010, and have been called in for nearly triple that (342) so far this year.

During a media tour Thursday of secretive defense labs intended to protect the U.S. power grid, water systems and other vulnerable infrastructure, acting DHS Deputy Undersecretary Greg Schaffer said that the world’s utilities and industries increasingly are becoming vulnerable as they wire their industrial machinery to the Internet.

The HSD’s control system program includes the emergency response team, a Cyber Analysis Center where systems are tested for vulnerabilities, a malware laboratory for analyzing cyber threats and a classified “watch and warning center” where data about threats are assessed and shared with other cyber security and intelligence offices. The offices are located at nondescript office buildings scattered around Idaho Falls. No signs announce their presence.

“We are connecting equipment that has never been connected before to these global networks,” Schaffer said. Disgruntled employees, hackers and perhaps foreign governments “are knocking on the doors of these systems, and there have been intrusions.”

Under current law, the reporting of cyber attacks by private organizations is strictly voluntary, although the Obama Administration has proposed making reporting mandatory. DHS could not provide details on the attacks due to confidentiality agreements.

Officials said they knew of only one recent criminal conviction for corrupting industrial control systems, that of a former security guard at a Dallas hospital whose hacking of hospital computers wound up shutting down the air conditioning system. The former guard was sentenced to 110 months in prison in March.

Marty Edwards, chief of the control system security effort, said the malware lab analyzed the Stuxnet virus that attacked the Iranian uranium enrichment facility in Natanz last year. He did not describe the group’s findings in detail, except to say that they confirmed that it was “very sophisticated.”

Cyber Attacks Against U.S. Infrastructure on the Rise

Marty Edwards speaks in front of a scale-model control systems used in mock cyber attacks during the first tour of the government’'s secretive cyber defense lab intended to protect the nation'’s power, water and chemical plants, electrical grid and other facilities in Idaho Falls, Idaho. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Edwards said that several years ago he had asked the German company Siemens to study the same kind of industrial controllers used at Natanz for vulnerabilities to attack, because they were so widely used in industry.

But he said the study was not part of any effort to target the controllers with malware, and said his program‘s work on the controllers could not have helped Stuxnet’s designers.

A senior Homeland Security cyber official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic, said the Stuxnet worm exploited well-known design flaws common to many system controllers, vulnerabilities that in general can’t be patched.

Many independent experts and former government officials suspect that Stuxnet was created by the United States, perhaps with the help of Israel, Britain and Germany.

The U.S. and other nations believe Iran is building a nuclear weapons program, but Tehran insists it is interested only in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

While U.S. officials talk frequently about the threat of cyber attacks to America, they seldom discuss the country’s offensive cyber weapons capability. The U.S. is thought to be the world’s leader in cyber warfare, both defensive and offensive.

U.S. officials and others long have feared that future wars will include cyber assaults on the industries and economies of adversaries, and the potential targets include power plants, pipelines and air traffic control systems.

Foreign nations could also target military control systems, including those used for communications, radar and advanced weaponry.

Because of its advanced industrial base and large number of computer controlled machines connected to the Internet, the U.S. is thought to be highly vulnerable to a cyber attack on its infrastructure.

In a 2007 test at the Idaho National Laboratory, government hackers were able to break into the control system running a large diesel generator, causing it to self-destruct.

Cyber Attacks Against U.S. Infrastructure on the Rise

Idaho National Laboratory (Photo: INL)

Watch the generator as it shakes, shudders and finally halts in a cloud of smoke:

James Lewis, a former State Department official now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said in an interview that the Aurora test ushered in a new era of electronic warfare.

Before the test, he said, the notion of cyber warfare “was mainly smoke and mirrors. But the Aurora tests showed that, you know what? We have a new kind of weapon.”

Homeland Security officials said they have not conducted such a test on that scale since. But they demonstrated Thursday how a hacker could tunnel under firewalls in computer systems to take command of industrial processes.

“All systems deployed have vulnerabilities,” Edwards said.

Comments (44)

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  • Bob
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 8:35pm

    Marketing 101, create your market, thereby save your job. Anyone believing anything that comes from this government needs their head examined. The only group I trust less than the Republicans is the Democrats and when you roll them together, you have pigs in a blanket, spoiled and deserving of being thrown in the trash bin of history. Come on Tea Party movement, shake the halls of the Federal Reserve and squish the government leeches.

    Report Post » Bob  
  • SychinLegacy
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 1:03pm

    Well if someone is attacking us, US citizen or not, Obama should just assassinate them. Oh wait he already is….

    Wake up people. The constitution is being strangled to death and the first part to go is the bill of rights.

    Report Post » SychinLegacy  
  • sharone
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:53am

    the only cyber threat I am worried about is from our own country…they have the ability to lock down power and water…..

    Report Post »  
  • dizzyinthedark
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 8:31am

    With the continued implementation of the Smart Meters and our inability to see past the trees into the forest, we will be easily shut down as a nation by cyber terrorists. The power companies are forcing us into our own demise and most people here are not on board with the concept that the ‘smart appliances’ have, built into them, a chip that will enable the Smart Meter to register the time of day it is being used and this signal from the Smart Meter will mesh with the Smart Grid that will tell that particular appliance it is being used at the wrong time of day and this appliance will shut itself down. The user/owner of such appliances will be unable to use the product at their own will. Think of all the appliances and products out there that are labeled ‘smart’ and you will begin understand how you will not be able to function in your home. This Smart Program will be so intrusive to our personal freedoms and think about all the homes, businesses that will be hooked up that can be easily cyber attacked and you will see how easily we as a nation, we will be brought to our knees. Swedes are already experiencing these ‘shut downs’ of their household appliances because they are using at the wrong time of day. They have no power over when they do their laundry, cooking, cleaning or running their busniesses because they are being controlled by their power companies. STOP THE SMART METERS!

    Report Post » dizzyinthedark  
  • g.prunty
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:58am

    motherof18 don’t stress it for the Muslims teach not the ability to pull this off in any real damaging measure.

    Report Post »  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 1:53am

      Well, you can‘t say it wasn’t because they didn’t want “all systems deployed” to have vulnerabilities. They put them there.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
  • motherof18
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:01am

    Just so I’m clear. We don’t wait until there is a cyber attack and then try and find those responsible. We attack NOW, we kill NOW, any Muslims capable of cyber attacks, no due process, no gathering of evidence, we solve the problem before the problem occurs. We wipe the earth clean of those Muslims capable of cyber attacks.

    Report Post »  
  • motherof18
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 11:54pm

    This board is infiltrated with MUSLIMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are at war with MUSLIMS. Don’t sucker for the Muslim propaganda. Most of these people trying to make you more afraid of government than MUSLIMS were born in Saudi Arabia. Names like Rose Ellen sound a little too American don’t you think? Abdul and Muhammad are the people posting with these American sounding names.

    I‘ll tell you one thing and I’m deadly serious, a vote for Ron Paul is a vote for ANOTHER 9/11.

    We must use EVERY means possible to fight this war. We must start targeting for death any Muslims who are capable of these cyber attacks. No trial, no jury, we send drones and seal teams to exterminate ALL Muslims who are capable of cyber attacks.

    Report Post »  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 2:40am

      lol…!

      YOU are at war with muslims.

      Speak for yourself.

      I’m at war with a Nazi Police State and their propaganda.

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on October 2, 2011 at 1:25pm

      Who’re you calling a muslim?

      I worship Yahushua Ha Maschiach.

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
  • skrlck
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 10:29pm

    The “Aurora” test ????????? As in H.A.A.R.P. ????????? Oh my gosh!! What are they messing with???!!! Gonna turn out bad!!

    Report Post »  
  • cobra two
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 9:59pm

    LIES AND PROPAGANDA. Homeland security should be changed to Homeland Tyranny.
    HomeLand security is NOT to protect me and you. We are the enemy in their eyes. WAKE UP
    Sheeple!

    Report Post »  
  • ZengaPA65
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 9:30pm

    There’s no attacks. This is a baldfaced lie to increase the power of a police state.

    Report Post » ZengaPA65  
  • V-MAN MACE
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 9:15pm

    Whatever.

    The Feds are the real terrorists. Everyone knows it.

    Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
  • Bernard
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 7:53pm

    This is important news regarding our security AS LONG AS THE OBAMA GOV. DOES NOT USE IT TO DERAIL THE ELECTIONS.

    Report Post »  
  • hidden_lion
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 7:00pm

    It is time to green up and move off the grid….then you won’t have to worry about it. Even the leftys could not complain, its good for the environment and your wallet and your survivability…

    Report Post » hidden_lion  
  • AzCowboy
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 4:53pm

    Folks, wake up. All I would have to due is track railroad schedules. Find one that carries lots of chemicals or other types of bad stuff. At two oclock in the morning I plant a bomb under the tracks. When the train comes (BOOM). It’s that easy. Think about a gas pipe line, a power transfer station etc. We Are Very Vulnerable….

    Report Post »  
    • Dabldo
      Posted on October 2, 2011 at 1:53am

      Yup. Pretty easy to do in many ways. And we are such an open society that we happily tell them openly what our vulnerabilities are in case they missed one. Yes, the price of freedom IS eternal vigilance.

      Report Post »  
  • georgiavietvet
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 4:35pm

    why don’t we just go ahead and tell these cyber idiots exactly what we are doing to defend against these kinds of attacks. i DO NOT agree with putting out this kind of information. its like telling the terrorists where the weakest point for them to attack, is. this is all part of obama’s and van jones plan to bring this country down so that he can declare martial law, and cancel the election………………………..

    Report Post »  
  • thegreatcarnac
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 3:44pm

    This ‘cyber threat’ has been going on as long as their has been a “net”. I agree with another writer on this post,….this is a way for DHS to get further influence and control over the net. The Chinese have been involved in manipulating and wrecking our web since Clinton (a demo) sold them the powerful computers to do it with. Is there any common sense in Washington D.C….?? Are there any patriots left in that city???

    Report Post »  
  • faires
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 3:22pm

    With ALL the technolgies we have in the US, I wouldn’t fall for this for one minute!__It’s another ploy for the Feds to take control of the net!

    Report Post » faires  
    • ProbIemSoIver
      Posted on September 30, 2011 at 5:16pm

      Exactly !! This system has no need to be directly hooked up to the world wide web.
      IT IS A LIE !!!
      Secondly, don’t we all see the big generator ??
      It is unbelievable that an investor can not acquire one, to start a local power supply company to neighborhoods.
      Allowing people to start electric companies would bring the price down for ALL !!!
      END the MONOPOLY !!!!

      Report Post » ProbIemSoIver  
    • Salamander
      Posted on September 30, 2011 at 9:56pm

      Er, actually, the power utilities provide electric power at about 5% of what it would cost to go to a more distributed system. Backup systems are fine for emergencies, but big polluters and waste enormous quantities of oil and gas. But people that think ‘Green’ don’t realize that your local utility is more green than all the home energy folks put together! By the way, that ‘green’ car, the plug-in elelctric–is actually coal-powered, nuclear powered or oil or natural gas powered, depending on the time of day and load profile during its time of charging!

      Report Post »  
  • Lotus503
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 3:05pm

    China is behind most of this. I’m in the process of starting up an Internet-based business…and I intend to block all IP addresses from Asia, the Middle East and Africa from using my services, with the exception of Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

    With all the cyber attacks, product bootlegging and theft of intellectual property that countries in those regions are committing, I choose not to do business with them in any way, shape or form. I advise American small businesses to do the same.

    Report Post »  
    • Quest4Freedom
      Posted on September 30, 2011 at 3:49pm

      Do you remember only a short time ago when “bombs” were found in our grid infrastructures to be deployed by computers and pointed to China as being the culprits? At first our government was going to beef up our systems, to protect our vulnerable electrical grids only to have Obama change his mind. What’s with that? It wouldn’t do much good to have computers in business, if we are suddenly thrown into the early 1900′s lifestyle. It takes power to run computers and just about anything we have come to depend on. Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) is something that would destroy our country, by bringing it to a standstill and the terrorists know it. North Korea for one is working on that aspect to take us out.

      Report Post »  
    • Pigpen
      Posted on September 30, 2011 at 9:53pm

      No, no, no, no, no… you people sound like a bunch of Reagan era cowboys. Now stop rocking the boat with our Number One trading partner. Just because China was a major sponsor of the two biggest Cold War conflicts (for you youngsters out there that’s the Korean and Vietnam Wars, er, I mean the Korean and Vietnam Police Actions) that doesn‘t mean that the Cold War hasn’t ended. The Cold War is over, and there were no winners and no losers, just one big happy family. China is our friend. China LOVES America. China has a McDonald’s now. Everything is going to be OK.
      [END SARCASM]

      Report Post » Pigpen  
    • TomFerrari
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 9:19am

      @lotus – blocking their ips will not work.
      ip spoofing is relatively easy.
      proxy servers cover your ip.
      viruses take over computers located IN the U.S. and launch attacks from your grandmother’s computer in her living room, without her knowledge.

      The REAL answer is not to connect government systems or other life-sustaining/mission-critical systems to the internet – the cost of private lines is CHEAP in comparison to what it would cost in downtime!
      Government systems, and life-sustaining systems should not be connected to the net, nor should the hardware even be COMPATIBLE ! !
      Any government data that needs to be disseminated should be manually downloaded and physically transferred to a “clearinghouse” that scrubs all the data prior to another manual download and sneaker-net transfer to civilian systems.
      I have been preaching this since the days of DARPANET, but, I was always called an alarmist, and was always shouted down with claims of “we can make secure systems!“ ”you need to trust our skills and knowledge!“ ”you don’t know what you are talking about“ ”nobody can hack into our systems”
      .
      .
      Well, I guess they were wrong, huh?
      Hate to say, ” I told you so…” but…

      NAH, I don’t hate it one bit! I TOLD YOU SO !

      Actually, I hate that they refused to listen to the voice of reason, instead, listening to the PAYOLA from campaign contributions from the giant companies that profited from selling their goods and services to the government!

      Report Post » TomFerrari  
  • NuffSaid
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 3:01pm

    Homeland Security -Day late/Dollar short.
    After an Airplane was use to destroy building, they started inspecting pilot schools and confiscating knives
    After the found a bomb in a shoe, they started inspecting shoes.
    After they found a bomb in underwear, they started inspecting crotches.

    If Obama is the first, uncut Jewish President, is it possible that Janet Napolitano is the first Black head of homeland security? I mean, race is just politics isn’t it? Race is just a defensive argument you use when you’ve reach the flat spot in your brain, right?

    Report Post »  
  • Just South Of Heaven
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 2:55pm

    Government is why i don’t allow my dog to instruct me, on the amount of food i put on his plate!

    Report Post » Just South Of Heaven  
  • steveh931
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 2:55pm

    You think it might be time to remove our infrastructure from the internet. A plant for any resource can be operated by employees at the origination site 24/7. I understand it provides information over a vast system and allows Corporations to save money, but to what extent does this sacrifice the general welfare of the people? Instead of focusing on protecting the system let’s look at ways to prevent attacks in the first place.

    Report Post » steveh931  
  • Kerri g
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 2:05pm

    would this not be a really good reason to control our borders? As mama said, “stupid is as stupid does” or is it just greed?

    Report Post »  
  • thegodfather
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 1:47pm

    …. I see an oncoming wave of stories and reports, that our “infrastructure”, has serious problems…….but a nice injection of money (see Obama jobs bill) will fix it.

    Report Post » thegodfather  
    • JLGunner
      Posted on September 30, 2011 at 2:49pm

      He’s already said it many times. Unfortunantly the only people that will get the jobs will be union members.

      Report Post » JLGunner  
    • travlman77
      Posted on September 30, 2011 at 5:17pm

      Too late! I’ve been working on the “Smart Grid” here in the northeast with stimulus money for most of two years. This new technology actually makes us more at risk from hackers than ever before.
      Buy a generator and stock up on food.

      Report Post » travlman77  
    • Pigpen
      Posted on September 30, 2011 at 10:02pm

      @TRAVLMAN77 Thanks for the update on the “Smart Grid”. I will start doing research right away. I appreciate your candid and helpful comment. And I am certain that Citizen A telling Citizen B the TRUTH about Government Project C is the REAL reason why the US government wants a kill switch on the internet!

      Report Post » Pigpen  
  • motonutt
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 1:20pm

    I was going to say something about the “government hackers” being able to hack into the engines on air force 1,2,3,4 or 5 while in flight. But that would be wrong. There are innocent people on those planes that are only doing their job and don’t deserve to die for this corupt bunch in the white house. So forget I ever mentioned it.

    Report Post » motonutt  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on September 30, 2011 at 1:02pm

    Once again the Department of Uselessness shows the concentrated weakness to our enemies at home and abroad; if a real cyber threat were to be initiated, I seriously doubt Obama and Napoletano would actually do anything to have it stopped before massive damage has been caused, just so they can come in and play the hero.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Revere2
      Posted on September 30, 2011 at 1:23pm

      Well put!!

      Report Post » Revere2  
    • rpp
      Posted on September 30, 2011 at 1:31pm

      I agree with you on that, SnowLeopard. And them being heroes would only be the beginning. Obama has repeated demonstrated he and his administration is much better at tearing down that building up.

      Still cyber attacks are very serious business. Being in IT I see understand that a real cyber attack would effectively send this country back 100 years. We as a society have become so dependent on the internet and electronics that we cannot function without them. And that is precisely what our enemies want. What is more, this is an attack that can carried out by just a few people, they would not need the resources of a country or an alliance of countries to cripple for a very long time.

      Report Post » rpp  
    • Quest4Freedom
      Posted on September 30, 2011 at 4:04pm

      You, I believe, are right. It is all about elections. Create the crisis, then place a safegard of protection against the crisis that was deliberately instigated (”fast & furious gunrunners”). Save us from ourselves. Please take our guns. Or, “never let a good crisis go to waste”.(H1N1) “this epidemic is going to be massive”. FEAR!

      Report Post »  
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