Security News > 2020 > April > Hackers Knew How to Target PLCs in Israel Water Facility Attacks: Sources

Hackers Knew How to Target PLCs in Israel Water Facility Attacks: Sources
2020-04-30 09:55

The actions of the hackers who recently targeted water facilities in Israel show their sophistication and prove that they knew exactly what they were doing, according to people with knowledge of the attacks.

The attacks targeted wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations and sewage facilities, and organizations in the water sector have been instructed by Israeli authorities to immediately take measures to prevent attacks, including changing passwords to internet-exposed control systems, reducing internet exposure, and ensuring that all software is up to date.

The cellular routers are in many cases exposed to attacks and it's possible that the hackers targeted these devices for the initial intrusion.

SCADAfence, an Israel-based OT and IoT security company, told SecurityWeek that its sources say the attacks may have originated from the Gaza region and they might have been launched by an anti-Israel hacktivist group calling itself the Jerusalem Electronic Army, which has mentioned the attacks on its Facebook page.

"Although water facilities were attacked first, many more attacks could be forthcoming," Michael Yehoshua, VP of marketing at SCADAfence, told SecurityWeek.


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