Russian “Trojan Horse” Discovered In Vital U.S. Computers

The Russian government-sponsored hacking of computer systems in the White House, reported last week, seems to be only the tip of the iceberg. ABC News has now reported that more computer systems have not only been hacked, but have been infected with a complex Trojan Horse malware program, dubbed “BlackEnergy.” This is the same type of virus Russia used earlier this year to attack computer networks belonging to NATO. The infected systems here in the United States are government and industry networks that control vital parts of the nation’s infrastructure, including “complex industrial operations like oil and gas pipelines, power transmission grids, water distribution and filtration systems, wind turbines and even some nuclear plants.”

BlackEnergy would allow Russia to shut down or destroy these vital systems, creating chaos and causing untold damage to not only our infrastructure, but also our economy. There is the danger of a cyberattack that could threaten human life. The virus is able to be activated remotely, using a computer or mobile device, according to sources in the Department of Homeland Security. DHS ran a test of this type of software and succeeded in causing a power generator to self-destruct. If used to shut down or modify the operations of water systems used to cool nuclear reactors, BlackEnergy could cause such reactors to flood or overheat, possibly resulting in a meltdown of the reactors. Coupled with attacks on the power grid and oil and gas pipelines, the effect would be truly catastrophic.

It appears the same tactic of “Spear Phishing” that was used in previous attacks on U.S. computers, including those at the White House, was used to attack these systems. Spear Phishing is an attack using spam e-mail that is targeted and does not look like spam because it is disguised to look like it is from someone you know. Once the e-mail is opened, the virus installs itself and begins to infiltrate the network and any computer that accesses the network.

Read More Here