Federal Authorities released a statement that they are looking into a report of a cyber-attack on critical government infrastructures in Central Illinois. According to the report cited by the Associated Press, the hackers appear to have gained remote access to a water pump which supplies water to communities west of Springfield, Illinois, and shut it down. Allegedly, the hackers were able to gain access to the water system by obtaining credentials stolen from a company that creates software code used to control “industrial systems.” The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigations has stated that at this time there is no “credible threat” to public safety or endangerment.
State and Federal agencies have been on the frontline’s of the Cyber-Wars, both from a defensive and offensive position, but the latest breach once again highlights the extent to which deviant individuals will go to in order to capture and control mission-critical information or systems. Organizations not only must critically examine their internal policy controls, but attention must be paid to external ones as well. Critically venting the product, as well as the company supplying the product, are but just a few steps an organization can take to make an informed decision (i.e. ask the question – Has the product code ever been compromised?).