Washington - Massive power outages in Brazil in 2005 and 2007
that impacted millions were caused by cyber hackers attacking
control systems, the US television network CBS said.
The CBS news programme 60 Minutes said it had learned that
the 2007 blackout in Espirito Santo State, which affected over
three million people, and a smaller incident in Rio de Janeiro in
2005, were perpetrated by hackers.
The programme, to be aired on Sunday, included the revelations as
part of an investigation into the threat of cyber attacks on the
United States.
Former Chief of US National Intelligence Mike McConnell told 60
Minutes that he thought a similar attack is poised to take
place on US soil.
US not prepared for cyber attack
If cyber hackers were able to infiltrate the US power grid, he
said, "the United States is not prepared for such an
attack."
Earlier this year the White House, State Department and Pentagon
websites were among US government entities targeted in cyber
attacks, amid suspicion that North Korea or its supporters are to
blame.
In May South Korea and the United States agreed to co-operate in
fighting cyber attacks against their defence networks.
Jim Lewis, director of the Centre for Strategic and International
Studies, emphasised to 60 Minutes that US cyber security has
come under significant attack from foreign nations in the past few
years, including a breach of the CENTCOM Network, the US command
post heading the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"We know it was a foreign country. We don't know which one
- this was a very sophisticated set of skills," Lewis told
CBS.
AFP |