Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Security Scare Tempest in a Water Pump

There's an adage that goes something like this: think before engaging mouth. Though sadly I'm not always successful, I try to adhere to a modified version of the same principle: wait a while before posting on breaking (and especially alarming) news.

This approach paid off again, as the facts are now officially available. Here's what you need to know about the recent, widely-reported water utility control system attacks ... from the US Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT):
After detailed analysis, DHS and the FBI have found no evidence of a cyber intrusion into the SCADA system of the Curran-Gardner Public Water District in Springfield, Illinois.
and furthermore ...
There is no evidence to support claims made in the initial Fusion Center report – which was based on raw, unconfirmed data and subsequently leaked to the media – that any credentials were stolen, or that the vendor was involved in any malicious activity that led to a pump failure at the water plant.  In addition, DHS and FBI have concluded that there was no malicious or unauthorized traffic from Russia or any foreign entities, as previously reported. 
So what can we/you do?
At this time, there are no specific recommendations other than to ensure you are following security best practices. ICS-CERT recommends reviewing Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.
So it's time to once again to get back off the ledge and go back to work. Thanks to various Big Blue and other industry colleagues who helped keep me up to date on this. For the full ICS-CERT note, click HERE.

Photo credit: Tim Parkinson at Flickr.com