Talk about a crisis waiting to happen.  Some hackers thought it would be a good idea to break into the systems of foreign utility companies and hold their utilities up for ransom.  It doesn’t sound like this was just some hackers praying that these companies would say no either… they actually followed through with their threats.  Cutting the power off from multiple cities is evidence enough that these people are totally serious.  Unfortunately, the cost of these hackers making a quick buck could lead to some serious international issues… let’s just hope it doesn’t go that far.

In a rare public warning to the power and utility industry, a CIA analyst this week said cyber attackers have hacked into the computer systems of utility companies outside the United States and made demands, in at least one case causing a power outage that affected multiple cities.

“We do not know who executed these attacks or why, but all involved intrusions through the Internet,” Tom Donahue, the CIA’s top cybersecurity analyst, said Wednesday at a trade conference in New Orleans.

Donahue’s comments were “designed to highlight to the audience the challenges posed by potential cyber intrusions,” CIA spokesman George Little said. The audience was made up of 300 U.S. and international security officials from the government and from electric, water, oil and gas companies, including BP, Chevron and the Southern Co.

“We suspect, but cannot confirm, that some of the attackers had the benefit of inside knowledge,” Donahue said. He did not specify where or when the attacks took place, their duration or the amount of money demanded. Little said the agency would not comment further.[more]

Tags: Hackers