Vermont Power Company, Burlington Electric has announced that Russian malware has been found on one of its computers.
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Russian Malware Found on Vermont Power Utility Computer
This is the same computer code that is connected to Russian cyber attacks that U.S. intelligence agencies have said were used to hack the Democratic National Committee. This latest development in the Russian cyber attack scandal comes just one day after President Obama announced sanctions against Russia in response to the election hacking.
According to Burlington Electric, the laptop was not connected to the power grid at the time the Russian malware was found. And the company has said it scanned its computer network and found the Russian malware after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent out an alert about the code to owners and operators of critical infrastructure.
A spokesperson for the utility said in the statement, “We took immediate action to isolate the laptop and alerted federal officials of this finding. Our team is working with federal officials to trace this malware and prevent any other attempts to infiltrate utility systems. We have briefed state officials and will support the investigation fully.”
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This kind of foreign breach of a U.S. power company has long been a major concern for U.S. intelligence officials because the ability to knock out the power grid could cause widespread disruptions to police, fire and medical responders.
Intelligence agencies have identified the Russian malware that the utility found as the same one used in what they call operation “Grizzly Steppe,” a covert Russian operation to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. President Barack Obama on Dec. 29 slapped sanctions on Russia for the intrusion and ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian operatives.
Trump thinks we should move on
Donald Trump has not yet responded to the hacking of the Vermont utility but on Friday he suggested that the U.S. should move on. Trump also sent out a tweet praising Vladamir Putin for being “very smart.”
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