‘Russian’ Hackers Infiltrate ‘American’ Electricity Company

The Burlington Electric Department (BED) reports that malicious program associated with Russian hackers was recently identified on one laptop belonging to the electricity company within Vermont State in USA but not directly related to the power plant. Aljazeera.com posted this, January 1, 2017.

One power utility at Vermont spread the alert following discovery of the malware which the DHS and FBI propagated to be tied to Russian hackers, states the Washington Post.

Both the agencies also provided the malware's sample apparently utilized within the operation known as Grizzly Steppe for compromising PC-networks in USA. The same malware sample was as well spread among executives of sixteen industries countrywide, especially the transportation, utility and financial industries.

Mike Kanarick Spokesman of BED says the malware connects with one hacking operation from Russia that federal government recognizes as Grizzly Steppe. According to him, the laptop in question wasn't used in connection with his company's grid systems.

On Friday, BED stated that the company adopted instant measures for quarantining the device as well as notified federal authorities about the discovery. Specifically, the company under the ownership of the municipally stated that its team together with federal authorities was working for tracking the malware as also halt any further efforts towards breaking into utility systems.

On Saturday afternoon BED again stated that there wasn't any sign of compromise of either the company's customer information or electric grid. It noted that same kind of malware was detected elsewhere within USA while wasn't exclusive to BED.

Gov. Peter Shumlin stated that the people of Vermont and the whole of America should be outraged as well as alarmed of Vladimir Putin a leading thug of the world for trying to hack into a U.S electric grid on which the people relied for good quality of their health, economy, safety and life.

The compromise was more than electronic fun the hackers enjoyed for, it was currently regarding attempting at accessing utilities for embezzling with the grid followed with derailing it when winter was at peak, uttered Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), adding it was a threat directly on Vermont which the government didn't take lightly.

» SPAMfighter News - 1/5/2017