WASHINGTON DC – Investigators hot on the trail of cyberspies trying to infiltrate the computer networks of US natural-gas pipeline companies say that the same spies were very likely involved in a major cyberespionage attack a year ago on RSA Inc. That one nation is China.
The news came in testimony made before Congress by General Alexander, chief of the National Security Agency.
What?s more, three confidential alerts since March and a public report on this month by the Department of Homeland Security warn of a “gas pipeline sector cyber intrusion campaign,” which apparently began in December. That campaign, against an undisclosed number of companies, is continuing, DHS said in the alerts, which were first reported by the Monitor.
“Analysis of the malware and artifacts associated with these cyber attacks has positively identified this activity as related to a single campaign,” DHS said in its public statement. It also described a sophisticated “spear-phishing” campaign ? in which seemingly benign e-mails that are actually linked to malicious software are sent to specific company personnel in hopes of gaining access to corporate networks.
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