Spies Infiltrate US Power Grid

The US government has admitted the nation's power grid is vulnerable to cyber attack, following reports it has been infiltrated by foreign spies.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) newspaper reported that Chinese and Russian spies were behind this "pervasive" breach.

It said software had been left behind that could shut down the electric grid.

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The US government has admitted the nation's power grid is vulnerable to cyber attack, following reports it has been infiltrated by foreign spies.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) newspaper reported that Chinese and Russian spies were behind this "pervasive" breach.

It said software had been left behind that could shut down the electric grid.

"The vulnerability is something [we] have known about for years," said US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

"We acknowledge that… in this world, in an increasingly cyber world, these are increasing risks," Ms Napolitano added.

She refused to comment on the WSJ story that an intrusion had taken place, but security experts said they were not surprised by the claims.

"There is a pretty strong consensus in the security community that the SCADA equipment, a class of technology that is used to manage critical infrastructure, has not kept pace with the rest of the industry," said Dan Kaminsky, a cyber security analyst and director of penetration testing for IOActive.

"Software for desktops and the internet have been dealing with the issue of security for the last 10 years, and that hasn't really come into the SCADA realm.

"From a geo-political standpoint, this has created an opening for skilled 'hostiles' to obtain a presence in places we would rather they didn't have one"

The WSJ reported that the intruders had not sought to damage the power grid or any other key infrastructure so far, but suggested they could change their approach in the event of a crisis or war.

The motives behind these potential attacks are undoubtedly military or political in nature, said Tim Mather, chief security strategist for the RSA Conference, the world's biggest security event.

He told the BBC: "These countries are not doing this willy-nilly. There is a tactical reason for all of this and no doubt tied to a longer term strategic plan which is gosh if they need to jerk the chain of the US, then this is the way to do it.

"This is like having an ace in the hole for the Chinese or Russians, just in case," said Mr Mather.

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