Expert: Hackers to intensify attacks on Russia industry facilities

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 19 (PRIME) -- Russia will face a growing volume of cyberattacks in 2017 targeting industrial facilities, transport and power stations, Yevgeny Kaspersky, general director of local antivirus maker Kaspersky Lab, said late on Wednesday.

“This is not the first year that we see a constantly rising activity in non-traditional segments, what is called the Internet of Things, which means not computers and mobile phones, but, let’s say, surveillance cameras, which were attacked by hackers last year,” Kaspersky said.

“I’m deeply worried by the fact that this year we’re going to see more attacks on various computerized devices and industrial facilities. Any such facility – like manufacturing units, transport or power stations – is strongly computerized.”

Kaspersky Lab cooperates with the Russian government and industry. “We assist them in tackling the issues of security of industrial systems, safeguard ‘turbines,’ what spins, burns, whirls… and generates electricity,” the executive said.

The antivirus firm is also ready to help the U.S. investigate hacker attacks. “Unfortunately, there is no information what attacks are taking place in the U.S., because their local firms work and restrict access to the others. We’d be happy to help,” Kaspersky said.

“We have U.S. experts who can do it. They’re U.S. citizens and can participate in the investigation. But we’re not given any information.”

The U.S. investigative authorities released in October 2016 an uncorroborated report that Russian hackers were behind a series of attacks on election systems.

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