First on CNN: U.S. investigators find proof of cyberattack on Ukraine power grid

First on CNN: U.S. investigators find proof of cyberattack on Ukraine power grid

First on CNN: U.S. investigators find proof of cyberattack on Ukraine power grid

A U.S. official close to the investigation said
the power outage was caused by a
sophisticated attack using destructive malware
U.S. systems aren't any more protected than
those breached in Ukraine, the U.S. official said
Washington (CNN)— U.S. investigators have
found evidence to confirm what is believed to
be the first-of-its-kind cyberattack on a power
grid that caused a blackout for hundreds of
thousands of people in Ukraine in December.
A U.S. official close to the investigation said
the power outage was caused by a
sophisticated attack using destructive malware
that wrecked computers and wiped out sensitive
control systems for parts of the Ukrainian power
grid.
For years, U.S. officials have expressed worry
about the vulnerability of the U.S. power grid.
And the U.S. investigation of the Ukrainian
attack has confirmed what until now has been
largely theoretical: that cyberwarfare can be
used to disable the U.S. power grid. U.S.
systems aren't any more protected than those
breached in Ukraine, the U.S. official said.
Ukrainian authorities have blamed Russia for the
outage, saying it was part of the Russian
government's pattern of undeclared war against
its neighbor. Almost immediately, investigators
found indications of a malware called
BlackEnergy.
The U.S. sent experts from the Energy and
Homeland Security departments, as well as the
FBI, to assist the Ukrainians in their
investigation.