DHS Report: Energy Sector Now a Bigger Target for Cyber Attackers
The energy sector is reporting an enormous increase in the number of attempted cyber attacks in 2013, according to a new report from the Department of Homeland Security. Some of the new attempted attacks have included the industrial control systems of gas compression stations across the Midwest.
There were 111 cyber incidents reported by the energy sector during the six months ending in May 2013, compared to about 81 incidents reported in the preceding 12 months, according to the report issued by DHS’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT). A previous report issued in January warned that cyber threats to the energy sector were happening at “an alarming rate.” The new report indicated an emerging cyber threat actor involved in intrusions into both the energy and critical manufacturing sectors, but did not give any more details about whether it was a nation state actor or some other group.