[ISN] Hackers threaten power network

From: InfoSec News (isn@private)
Date: Thu Oct 02 2003 - 02:46:20 PDT

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    http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article.jhtml?articleID=636486
    
    30 Sep, 2003
    
    Norway's power grid is subject to aggressive hacking every day, 
    carried out by computer terrorists apparently intent on cutting 
    electricity to wide areas of the country. Agencies in charge of power 
    production and the network have so far managed to thwart their 
    efforts.
    
    Employees at Statkraft, Norway's largest power producer, are being 
    forced to use tremendous resources to maintain the so-called "fire 
    walls" in its computer system. If they fail, Norway may be subject to 
    the same kind of massive power failures that recently hit Italy, 
    eastern Canada and the US.
    
    "We have daily visits from trespassers who try to break into our 
    system," Tor Inge Akselsen of Statnett told newspaper Aftenposten 
    Tuesday. Statnett is in charge of Norway's power network.
    
    Neither Statkraft nor Statnett know who they're up against, only that 
    it's critically important to keep their systems secure.
    
    A massive power failure in Oslo would halt all trains and trams and 
    disrupt everything from mobile phone traffic to street lights. Back-up 
    generators in key areas, however, would provide power to government 
    offices, hospitals, broadcast outlets and the main airport at 
    Gardermoen.
    
    
    
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