Information released by Reuters, in the long-awaited OAS cyber-security poll, shows a shift in the hacker.
New research shows that only 60% have detected attacks aimed at data theft and 40% have
experienced shutdown attempts. Simply put, there is a worrying trend towards greater destructiveness, particularly when the alleged target of dangerous cyberattacks concerns industrial infrastructure.
What hat do hackers and what has changed?
A small minority of hackers are traditionally defined as “BlackHats”, a term that refers to a person whose ultimate goal is overt sabotage or malicious destruction. “WhiteHats”, are those hackers whose primary goal was to gain knowledge and test their skills against the latest cyber-defenses.
The aforementioned poll, which surveyed leaders in 35 government agencies, 35 countries in North and South America, as well as employees of leading IT Security companies, suggests that the era of “gentle” hacking may be coming to an end. Leaders with knowledge of industrial networks used in resource extraction, utilities, and construction companies were asked. It is also worth noting that only 60% of the 575 respondents (16 per country) reported detecting an attempt to intercept data on critical infrastructure networks. However, 40% reported attempts to shut down and 50% detected malware that attempts to manipulate industrial infrastructure.
The Anonymous group and various subgroups have spent a lot of time on mass information leaks. A typical example is the series of massive attacks on Sony Corp. The hack-to-leak mentality, however, currently seems to be in decline.
Another interesting aspect of the OAS survey was the optional anonymous responses regarding experiences. Survey participants were able to provide more information about what happened during the attacks. Among the attacks reported were:
- A bank that suffered a sophisticated remote intrusion, stealing money from accounts and then deleting the account details. The bank noted that the deletions were a critical issue, as it became difficult to undo and calculate the size of the theft.
- Another resource diversion attack (the nature of which remains unclear) on a company in the oil industry through the manipulation of industrial equipment.
The Pentagon has already stated that cyberattacks on infrastructure can justify war with the attackers. However, the policy regarding armed response against civilian cyber-attackers, so-called cyber-terrorists, is controversial.
