Researchers Uncover Holes That Open Power Stations to Hacking | WIRED

▤ Summary

But the researchers say that breaching a power system through serial communication devices can actually be easier than attacking through the IP network since it doesnt require bypassing layers of firewalls. An intruder could exploit the vulnerabilities by gaining physical access to a substation – which generally are secured only with a fence and a webcam or motion-detection sensors – or by breaching the wireless radio network over which the communication passes to the server. He points to a recent presentation at the Black Hat security conference that discussed methods for hacking wireless radio networks, which a lot of utility control systems use, including ways to crack the encryption. They began to examine the systems last April using a fuzzer that Crain created, and submitted their findings to the Department of Homeland Securitys Industrial Control System-CERT, which helped them notify the vendors. The servers communicate with programmable logic controllers and remote-terminal units in the field to collect status data from them in order to allow operators to monitor conditions and to allow them to trip breakers as needed or to increase or decrease the voltage.

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