Cybersecurity experts say they are not surprised by revelations contained in a package of leaked US intelligence documents suggesting that Russian-backed hackers have successfully accessed Canada’s natural gas supply network. increase.
According to them, oil and gas infrastructure in Canada and around the world is routinely targeted by cybercriminals and state-sponsored hackers looking to cause havoc for financial gain.
Lesley Carhart of industrial cybersecurity firm Dragos Inc. said the oil and gas industry is an attractive target for those seeking to engage in cyber espionage and sabotage.
But hackers are very unlikely to disrupt energy supplies or damage people or property through oil and gas cyberattacks, she said.
According to Carhart, even if an attacker had access to an oil and gas company’s computer servers, it would take years for the attacker to learn enough about the company’s processes and internal secure backups to actually cause an incident. Oversight may be required.
A US intelligence document recently leaked online does not name a specific energy company, but claims by Russian-backed hackers to have successfully accessed the computer network of a Canadian natural gas distributor. I am explaining.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 10, 2023.
