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North Korea Targets US Power Grid with Phishing

Posted: October 11, 2017 to Cybersecurity.

Tags: Malware, Data Breach, Cloud Security

A number of people employed at US power companies recently received invitations to a charity event via an email with an invitation file attached. It was, as you've probably guessed, not actually an invitation to an event to help people, but something with quite the opposite intent. Anybody who downloaded and opened the attachment would have had their computer infected with malware from North Korea, which could potentially have led to a compromised power grid. Fortunately, the recipients were trained enough not to open the attachment and no system were compromised. It's an alarming sign, however, as cybersecurity experts have been warning us for quite a while that the power grid is a juicy target for state-sponsored hackers. Particularly worrisome is that not all utility and power companies are equally savvy. There's a huge disparity in how much money different companies are able to spend on things like cybersecurity, and all a hacker potentially needs is one foot in the door to cause trouble. No matter the size of your company, a little bit of security awareness training can make a huge difference, because all it can take for a hacker to take control of an entire computer network is one person opening one well-disguised file in an email. If you're not sure how well-versed your employees are on recognizing even the most common cybersecurity threats, sign up for security awareness training today.

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About the Author

Craig Petronella, CEO and Founder of Petronella Technology Group
CEO, Founder & AI Architect, Petronella Technology Group

Craig Petronella founded Petronella Technology Group in 2002 and has spent more than 30 years working at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, compliance, and digital forensics. He holds the CMMC Registered Practitioner credential (RP-1372) issued by the Cyber AB, is an NC Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner (License #604180-DFE), and completed MIT Professional Education programs in AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity. Craig also holds CompTIA Security+, CCNA, and Hyperledger certifications.

He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author of 15+ books on cybersecurity and compliance, host of the Encrypted Ambition podcast (95+ episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon), and a cybersecurity keynote speaker with 200+ engagements at conferences, law firms, and corporate boardrooms. Craig serves as Contributing Editor for Cybersecurity at NC Triangle Attorney at Law Magazine and is a guest lecturer at NCCU School of Law. He has served as a digital forensics expert witness in federal and state court cases involving cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, SIM-swap attacks, and data breaches.

Under his leadership, Petronella Technology Group has served 2,500+ clients, maintained a zero-breach record among compliant clients, earned a BBB A+ rating every year since 2003, and been featured as a cybersecurity authority on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and WRAL. The company leverages SOC 2 Type II certified platforms and specializes in AI implementation, managed cybersecurity, CMMC/HIPAA/SOC 2 compliance, and digital forensics for businesses across the United States.

CMMC-RP NC Licensed DFE MIT Certified CompTIA Security+ Expert Witness 15+ Books
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