Ukraine Goes Dark: Russia-Attributed Hackers Take Down Power Grid

The Daily Signal ^ | January 13, 2016 | Riley Walters

[Pan_Yan]

As many as 80,000 residents in western Ukraine lost power for six hours on Dec. 23. Cybersecurity firms SANS ICS and iSight Partners have attributed the blackout to Russian hacking group Sandworm and its malicious software, BlackEnergy 3.

Cyberattacks on power grids and other critical infrastructure are not new, but this most recent attack seems to be the first use of cyber as a weapon with kinetic effects during an ongoing conflict, highlighting the growing importance of cybersecurity.

While an analysis of the cyberattack is ongoing, BlackEnergy has a history of targeting information control systems.

For the Prikarpattiaoblenergo electric company in Ukraine, the malware and its subcomponent KillDisk shut down computer operating systems, which in turn ended up shutting down the local electrical grid. Hackers also sought to make it impossible for customers to report electrical issues to the electric company by blocking out the company’s phone system.

[BeadCounter]

The Kleptocracy at work again.

[Pan_Yan]

Cyberattacks against Ukrainian, EU, and NATO officials in 2014 have been attributed to the same hacking team. Hackers in Russia have a tendency to set their sights on areas most relevant to Russian foreign policy—in Ukraine’s case, the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia and ongoing Russian-backed rebellion in eastern Ukraine.

Nut Job Ping.

[PAR35]

Ukrainians are going to whine because, like all bullies, it’s fair when they do it, but not fair when their victim responds in kind.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Stalin starved millions. Payback will be a bitch.

[TBP]

We have hackers we’ve imprisoned. We need to put them to work hacking our enemies.

[Big Horn]

This may happen here on election day.

[wafflehouse]

IBBR (in before beetlejuice reference)