Hackers have entered the operational systems of energy companies in the US and Europe, lying in wait with the ability to switch off the power and sabotage computer networks, according to a report by cyber security company Symantec. The group of hackers, known as Dragonfly, Energetic Bear or Berserk Bear, infiltrated energy companies by tricking employees into opening Microsoft Word documents that harvest usernames and passwords, with the number of attacks rising in recent months. While the hackers have not caused power outages, Symantec warned that attacks by a different group that made whole regions in Ukraine go dark in 2015 and 2016 show what is possible.
FT 6th Sept 2017 read more »