http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323336104578501601108021968.html
By SIOBHAN GORMAN and DANNY YADRON
The Wall Street Journal
May 23, 2013
WASHINGTON -- Iranian-backed hackers have escalated a campaign of
cyberassaults against U.S. corporations by launching infiltration and
surveillance missions against the computer networks running energy
companies, according to current and former U.S. officials.
In the latest operations, the Iranian hackers were able to gain access
to control-system software that could allow them to manipulate oil or
gas pipelines. They proceeded "far enough to worry people," one former
official said.
The developments show that while Chinese hackers pose widespread
intellectual-property-theft and espionage concerns, the Iranian assaults
have emerged as far more worrisome because of their apparent hostile
intent and potential for damage or sabotage.
U.S. officials consider this set of Iranian infiltrations to be more
alarming than another continuing campaign, also believed to be backed by
Tehran, that disrupts bank websites by "denial of service" strikes.
Unlike those, the more recent campaigns actually have broken into
computer systems to gain information on the controls running company
operations and, through reconnaissance, acquired the means to disrupt or
destroy them in the future, the U.S. officials said.
[...]
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