Security 'chaos' leaves utility grids vulnerable, report says

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://gcn.com/articles/2011/11/15/smart-grid-cybersecurity-chaos-pike-report.aspx

By William Jackson
GCN.com
Nov 15, 2011

An aging infrastructure, a lack of standards and inadequate spending 
have left the security of critical global utility grids in a “state of 
near chaos,” according to a recent white paper from Pike Research. In 
one example, it shows how a $60 smart-phone app could enable an attack.

“The attackers clearly have the upper hand,” says the paper on "Utility 
Cyber Security."

Increased awareness of and spending on control system security provides 
one bright spot in the picture, as utility systems, and particularly 
power grids, are becoming increasingly automated and networked.

Although the report describes cybersecurity of utilities a global 
problem, it points out that there is no single global infrastructure. 
Regional differences in the technologies deployed will define attack 
surfaces, threats and trends that are specific to each region and will 
continue to define regional investments in security.

[...]

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