The "hacktivist" collective Anonymous is capable of crippling critical infrastructure, but the odds of developing a Stuxnet-style attack on industrial SCADA systems were slim, according to a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bulletin.
Even though hacktivist groups are increasingly more active in their attacks, DHS said actual threats to control systems don’t seem to have increased, according to a recent report on eWeek.
DHS evaluated the group after a known Anonymous member posted on Twitter on July 19 a directory tree for Siemens SIMATIC control system software, according to the report. "This is an indication in a shift toward interest in control systems by the hacktivist group," the report said.
Critical infrastructure refers to the systems and networks that power communications, energy, financial systems, food, government operations, health care systems, transportation and water.
[Read the full story in eWeek.]