‘Industroyer’ virus could bring down power networks, researchers warn

Discovery of new malware shows vulnerability of critical infrastructure, just months after the WannaCry ransomware took out NHS computers

The discovery of the malware, dubbed “Industroyer” and “Crash Override”, highlights the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, just months after the WannaCry ransomware took out NHS computers across the UK.

Industroyer, analysed by the researchers from Slovakia’s ESET and the US’s Dragos, is only the second known case of a virus built and released specifically to disrupt industrial control systems. The first was Stuxnet, a worm that sabotaged the Iranian nuclear programme, which was thought to have been built by the US and Israel.

The virus attacks electricity substations and circuit breakers using industrial communication protocols which are standardised across a number of types of critical infrastructure – from power, water and gas supply to transportation control…

Source: ‘Industroyer’ virus could bring down power networks, researchers warn | Technology | The Guardian