Malware Infects US Power Facilities Through USB Drives

angry tapir writes "Two U.S. power companies have reported infections of malware during the past three months, with the bad software apparently brought in through tainted USB drives, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT). The publication (PDF) did not name the malware discovered. The tainted USB drive came in contact with a 'handful of machines' at the power generation facility and investigators found sophisticated malware on two engineering workstations critical to the operation of the control environment, ICS-CERT said."

Re:Scan the security cameras...

[symbolset]

Strangely I agree with this moderation. If there ever was a day when "redundant" should be an up mod, this is it.

Re: Fire him

[Anonymous Coward]

When firing him, make him walk past all the other employees lined up at the front doors, who turn their backs one by one as he passes them. And as he walks to his car, the slow-clap chant of "unclean, unclean, unclean" should be encouraged. And a hail of out of date McAfee trial disks thrown at his car as he drives away.

No. It's not to punish him further, it's to reinforce acceptable group behaviour on those who remain.

"We don't do this to you if you steal a laptop or a roll of copper wire. We don't do this to you if sneak out at noon every day. This is the thing we do this for."

Be careful of the back port

[unix_core]

I've heard the infection spreads more easily if you stick it in the port on the backside. I know for most people, its a PITA to do that. you might have to get down on your knees an so on, though there are those who prefer it and for them it's especially important to use adequate protection.

Re:Scan the security cameras...

[Anonymous Coward]

or... choosing windows, which is itself "malicious code"

Re:Scan the security cameras...

[aurispector]

Since windows is the de facto standard and as such the bulk of malware is targeted at it. Pick any platform, make it the standard and the amount of malware written for it will explode.

Nice rhymes BTW - that english degree is paying off for you!