US utility sabotage blamed on Russian hackers

Russian hackers may have sabotaged a water pump in what is being described as the first foreign cyber attack on US utility infrastructure, damaging both hardware and confidence in critical systems. The attack targeted a Springfield, Illinois water utility station on November 8, Reuters reports, using network credentials stolen from an industrial software developer the pump was apparently remotely activated and burnt out, though redundant systems meant no impact was felt by residents of the town.

Nonetheless, the event is being taken seriously by the Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center, with the US Department of Homeland Security and the FBI both involved in the investigation. Although still early, the teams involved insist there is no cause for ongoing concern, with DHS spokesperson Peter Boogaard arguing that "there is no credible corroborated data that indicates a risk to critical infrastructure entities or a threat to public safety."