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Hackers Behind Brazilian Blackouts In 2005, 2007

Posted on: Sunday, 8 November 2009, 06:45 CST

Hackers attacking control systems are to blame for the vast power outages in Brazil in 2005 and 2007 that affected millions, CBS News reported.

The report, which will air on the 60 minutes program this Sunday, says the 2007 blackout in Espirito Santo State, which affected over three million people, and a smaller blackout in Rio de Janeiro in 2005, were in fact perpetrated by hackers.

The discovery was part of an investigation into cyberattacks against the United States. 

Mike McConnell, the former Chief of National Intelligence, told the network that he believed a similar attack is set to take place against the U.S.

"The United States is not prepared for such an attack,” McConnell said, referring to an infiltration of the nations’ power grid by cybercriminals.

Earlier this year, hackers targeted the White House, the State Department and Pentagon websites. Some suspect North Korea or its supporters are behind the attack.

In May, South Korea and the U.S. agreed to collaborate to combat cyber attacks against their defense networks.

Jim Lewis, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told 60 Minutes that U.S. cyber security has come under serious attack from foreign nations in recent years.  These attacks include a breach of the CENTCOM Network and the U.S. command post overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We know it was a foreign country. We don't know which one -- this was a very sophisticated set of skills," Lewis told CBS.

Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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