Tom Olson reports:
A hacking group with ties to the Russian government is suspected of carrying out a cyberattack in January that caused a tank at a Texas water facility to overflow, experts from US cybersecurity firm Mandiant said Wednesday. The attack took place in Muleshoe, Texas, and coincided with other towns in north Texas taking precautionary defensive measures after detecting suspicious cyber activity on their networks. The FBI has been investigating the hacking activity, and this incident is a rare example of hackers using access to sensitive industrial equipment to disrupt operations at a US water facility.
[…]
Mandiant’s report found links between the GRU sabotage and spying unit known as Sandworm and online infrastructure used by hackers using the persona “CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn.” Sandworm is known for disruptive cyberattacks in Ukraine, and the CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn group posted a video claiming responsibility for the Muleshoe attack on their social media channel. This group is known for emphasizing psychological impact through their hacking activities. Officials are continuing to investigate the incidents and are coordinating with state authorities to ensure the security of water systems against cyber threats.
Read more at GlobeEcho.
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