critical infrastructure

Pierluigi Paganini February 14, 2017
A simulation shows how a ransomware could hack PLCs in a water treatment plant

The security researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have simulated a ransomware-based attack on PLCs in a water treatment plant. The security researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have conducted an interesting research on the potential impact of ransomware on industrial control systems (ICS). The researchers David Formby, a Ph.D. student in the Georgia […]

Pierluigi Paganini October 04, 2016
ICS-CERT annual vulnerability coordination report 2015, +74% flaws

The US ICS-CERT published its annual vulnerability coordination report for FY 2015 that provided information about security holes reported to the agency. The US ICS-CERT has published its annual vulnerability coordination report for the fiscal year 2015. The report included detailed information about security vulnerabilities reported to the US ICS-CERT in 2015. “ICS-CERT is pleased to announce the release of […]

Pierluigi Paganini August 29, 2016
A malware was found in Iran petrochemical complexes, but it’s not linked to recent incidents

The head of Iran’s civilian defense confirmed that a malware was found in petrochemical complexes, but it hasn’t caused the fires under investigation. Last week, I reported the news related to a series of fires at Iranian petrochemical plants. The Iran’s Supreme National Cyberspace Council started an investigation to discover if the incidents at oil and petrochemical […]

Pierluigi Paganini August 24, 2016
Navis WebAccess app used by US Ports is affected by a SQL injection flaw

The Navis WebAccess application used in the transportation sector worldwide is affected by a high severity SQL injection vulnerability. A software used in the US ports is affected by a high severity SQL Injection vulnerability (CVE-2016-5817). The flaw was discovered by a hacker behind the online moniker “bRpsd,” the expert has discovered the vulnerability in […]

Pierluigi Paganini August 19, 2016
Iran investigates possible cyber attacks behind a string Oil Industry incidents

Iran ’s cyberspace security authorities are investigating a string of fires in the country oil and gas facilities. Incidents or cyber sabotage? Once again, something of strange is happening in Iran, the Government of Teheran is investigating a recent string of incidents occurred in critical infrastructure in the country. The Iran’s Supreme National Cyberspace Council […]

Pierluigi Paganini August 06, 2016
FireEye Report – 33 percent of ICS Flaws had no vendor fixes when reported

FireEye documented more than 1,500 vulnerabilities affecting ICS disclosed in the past 15 years, and some of them are still present. Security of critical infrastructure is a pillar of the cyber strategy of any government, both the NIS directive and Warsaw NATO summit stressed the importance of a proper security posture to protect our systems from cyber […]

Pierluigi Paganini July 15, 2016
Furtim’s advance capabilities and the Energy Sector

The Labs team at SentinelOne recently discovered a sophisticated malware dubbed Furtim specifically targeting at least one European energy company. In May of this year, security researcher Yotam Gottesam with enSilo, began unraveling a mystery that continues to unravel. First reported by FireF0X, a self-proclaimed “ex-malware analyst” located in the Russian Federation, the Furtim malware […]

Pierluigi Paganini July 13, 2016
Experts found a government malware on the Dark Web

Experts have made a disconcerting discovery on the Dark Web, they have found a sophisticated government malware that could be used to target Energy Grids. We have discussed several times about the militarization of the cyberspace and the risks that a government malware goes out of control, what about is a powerful hacking tool is […]

Pierluigi Paganini June 30, 2016
The transportation industry is increasingly being targeted by hackers

According to the 2015 version of the ‘Transportation Systems Sector-Specific Plan’ the transportation industry is increasingly exposed to cyber threats. The transportation industry is considered part of the critical infrastructure of a country, and according to the IBM’s X-Force security team is it a privileged target for hackers. The report, Security Trends in the Transportation […]

Pierluigi Paganini April 04, 2016
Why malware like the Samsam ransomware are so dangerous for hospitals?

The FBI issued a confidential urgent “Flash” message to the businesses and organizations about the Samsam Ransomware, why it is so dangerous? It is emergency, every week security experts launch an alert on a new ransomware, the extortion practice is becoming a profitable business for criminal gangs worldwide. Recently the US and Canada issued a joint warning about the recent […]