Hackers cause blackout in the Ukraine

Located in the Ukraine, the blackout, which cut power to more than 600,000 homes in the west of the country, is believed to be the first example of a hacking attack causing a power outage. Ukrainian intelligence sources have attributed the attack to state sponsored hackers in Russia. Similar malware was also used to hack a media company in the country late last year.

Using a highly destructive Trojan the hackers were able to retrieve administrator details from the media company. Once the Trojan was activated communications from the computers ceased, suggesting that it succeeded in wiping them and rendering them inoperable. Cyber warfare between the two nations has escalated in the region since the invasion of the Crimea.

Experts say that the malware they found is a virus called BlackEnergy, which has been used in the past to sabotage companies and news organisations, including in the US. The virus has since been updated, acquiring new malicious capabilities.

This attack has served as a warning, as the common perception is that cyber attacks tend to be confined to commercial entities (Ashley Maddison, Uber, TalkTalk etc). However, vital infrastructure has become more susceptible to hacking also, as systems are ageing, while at the same time, becoming increasingly connected.

Late last year, Chancellor George Osborne confirmed that almost £2bn of funding has been allocated to help protect the UK from cyber attacks, while at the same time, developing its own.