Cybersecurity
Hackers Are Targeting the Remote Workers Who Keep Your Lights On
- Cyberattacks on electric grid have surged 35% during pandemic
- Power companies say they’re boosting security against assault
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In July alone, hackers took over the twitter accounts of U.S. politicians, stole terrabytes of coronavirus research and even infiltrated the U.K.’s Premier League soccer clubs. Can they cut off your electricity, too?
They’re trying. With millions of Americans now working from home –- including the people who help keep the grid running -- cyberattacks targeting the power sector have surged. In many cases, hackers use phishing emails to gain access to the computers of remote workers, looking to disable company systems for a ransom. But security experts warn that about dozen state-sponsored actors are also trying to infiltrate these networks.