Cyber criminals have long tried to break into vital networks and power systems.But last month, experts for the first time discovered a malicious computer code — called a worm — specifically created to take over systems that control the inner workings of industrial plants.

 

In response to the growing threat, the Department of Homeland Security has begun building specialized teams that can respond quickly to cyber emergencies at industrial facilities across the country.

 

As much as 85 percent of the nation's critical infrastructure is owned and operated by private companies, ranging from nuclear and electric power plants to transportation and manufacturing systems. Many of the new attacks have occurred overseas, but the latest episode magnified worries about the security of plants in the U.S.

 

"This type of malicious code and others we've seen recently are actually attacking the physical components, the devices that open doors, close doors, build cars and open gates," said Sean McGurk, director of control systems security for Homeland Security. "They're not just going after the ones and zeros (of a computer code), they're going after the devices that actually produce or conduct physical processes."

 

In many cases, operating systems at power plants and other critical infrastructure are decades old. Sometimes they are not completely separated from other computer networks used by companies to run administrative systems or even access the Internet. Those links between the administrative networks and the control systems provide gateways for hackers to insert malicious codes, viruses or worms into the programs that operate the plants.

 

Over the past year, Homeland Security has quietly been deploying teams of experts around the country to assess weaknesses in industrial control systems. The agency has created four teams and — with a budget scheduled to increase from $10 million this year to $15 million next year — has plans to grow to 10 teams in 2011. The teams are armed with a $5,000 kit: a black, suitcase-sized bag crammed with cables, converters, data storage and high-tech computer forensic tools. With that equipment, they can download the problem malware, analyze it and work with the companies to correct or clean their systems.

 

So far, says an AP report, the teams have done 50 assessments and have been dispatched 13 times to investigate and help correct cyber incidents and attacks. Nine of those cases involved some type of deliberate cyber intrusion, while the other four were the unintended result of an operator's action. In one of the nine intrusion cases, a company representative had gone to a conference and had the presentation documents downloaded onto a computer flash drive.