The Dell Annual Threat Report reveals new threats of cyber terrorism have emerged as SCADA systems are targeted by attackers.
An increasing amount of SCADA systems are being attacked. Idan Aharoni, CEO of Inteller intelligence found SCADA credentials to be accessible by jihadists and cyber criminals via the Silk Road.
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisitions otherwise known as SCADA are the single most important components used to control industrial processes in the physical world used by water, gas and electric infrastructures.
The 2015 Dell Annual Threat Report reveals there has been a 100 per cent increase in the number of attacks on SCADA systems.
UK government defence works especially to protect these systems. Once SCADAs are jeopardized, societal routine, life and safety will be disrupted.
However, when SCADA systems are infiltrated, it more than often goes unreported to avoid moral panic. Cyber security experts confirm that the main bulk of attacks are carried out by politically motivated APT groups.
If these groups obtain knowledge about the design and mechanism of SCADA, malware could be designed to specifically target attacks against the systems.Attacks like this are not unheard of.In 2010 Stuxnet, malicious spyware was found in nuclear systems in Iran.
Idan Aharoni, founder & CEO of Inteller intelligence discovered sensitive information and credentials used for SCADA systems being sold on the online black market with several screen shots to prove it.
Three IP addresses and a remote desktop of three SCADA systems were also shown.
Despite last month’s Tunisia massacre where 30 British tourists were murdered, concerns that terrorists will no longer favour physical attacks are mounting as counter-terrorism operations in the UK tighten.
The threat that terrorists and politically motivated hackers will use cyber means to facilitate political attacks and terror is rising. Idan Aharoni wrote on Inteller website “The fact that compromised SCADA systems are now offered for sale for anyone to purchase, including jihadists and hacktivists, should not be taken lightly.”
