Utilities are still vulnerable and connected – case history to be presented

    Jan. 1, 2000

    The week of October 1st, Project SHINE found an electric substation directly connected to the Internet. Project SHINE analysts were able to see DNP3 ports, Serial Port Server ports, Telnet interface ports, and a web page server. As of the week of October 7th, the substation device was disconnected. The Project Shine investigator will present a detailed case history with time lines of this case at the October ICS Cyber Security Conference.

    The week of October 1st, Project SHINE found an electric substation directly connected to the Internet. Project SHINE analysts were able to see DNP3 ports, Serial Port Server ports, Telnet interface ports, and a web page server. They discovered this via search engines without even accessing the site itself. Project Shine provided this information to DHS. As of the week of October 7th, the substation device was disconnected.  I had a discussion with the utility who said the device was for monitoring only. However, this type of device is often connected directly to the SCADA network and can thus be a backdoor. The Project Shine investigator will present a detailed case history with time lines of this case at the October ICS Cyber Security Conference (http://www.icscybersecurityconference.com/). As the issue of connecting devices to the internet is unfortunately all too common, the individual utility will not be identified.

    Joe Weiss

    Continue Reading

    Sponsored Recommendations

    Municipalities are utilizing inline total solids measurements to enhance sludge thickening, lower polymer usage and cut operational expenses.
    Carbon dioxide is increasingly recognized as a vital resource with significant economic potential. While the conversion of carbon dioxide into products is still in its infancy...
    Discover our wide range of temperature transmitters that convert sensor signals from RTDs and thermocouples into stable and standardized output signals!
    An innovative amine absorption-based carbon capture process enables retrofitting of existing industrial facilities to reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors, with advanced ...