A Newly Discovered Hacking Group Is Targeting Energy and Telecoms Companies (techcrunch.com) 13
A new hacking group called "Hexane" is targeting telecommunications and oil and gas companies across Africa and the Middle East. Industrial security company Dragos said that the group's activity has ramped up in recent months amid heightened tensions in the region since the group first emerged a year ago. TechCrunch reports: Dragos said Hexane, the latest in a list of nine hacking groups it tracks, was observed targeting telecoms companies, potentially as a "stepping stone" to gain access to the networks of oil and gas companies. Dragos would not go into specifics about the threat group but hinted that it targets and compromises "devices, firmware, or telecommunications networks" in the supply chain, which could be used to breach a victim's network from within.
The researchers have "moderate confidence" that Hexane does not yet have an attack capability to disrupt industrial control networks critical to the continued operations of power plants, energy suppliers and other critical infrastructure, but the group may use its leverage on telecommunications networks as a "precursor" to an attack on industrial control networks. Dragos said Hexane is expected to increase targeting oil and gas companies in the region.
The researchers have "moderate confidence" that Hexane does not yet have an attack capability to disrupt industrial control networks critical to the continued operations of power plants, energy suppliers and other critical infrastructure, but the group may use its leverage on telecommunications networks as a "precursor" to an attack on industrial control networks. Dragos said Hexane is expected to increase targeting oil and gas companies in the region.
Wonder what (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The Slashdot blurb mentions Africa, and given China's economic colonialism in Africa this would be a great way to stir the pot during a trade war with China.
They've got a lot invested in some of these African resource extraction enterprises and either problems running the plants or conflicts with the locals hurts the return on the investment.
eco-hackers? (Score:3)
I dunno if this is it but I've been expecting a group of hackers to rise and begin attacking fossil fuel companies. This would be problematic for them because the motive wouldn't be taking money but harming the operation itself. They could simply go for long-term sabotage (e.g. stuxnet) to drive up the price of oil/gas or if they want to "make a statement" they might do things that could cost human lives.
This is most likely just typical nation-state backed hackers but unless we change course soon then eco-hackers will definitely become a thing.
Learn from Battlestar Galactica (Score:1)
Sometimes it's better to do business the old-fashioned way rather than relying on provably- or very-likely-insecure technology.