Iran-linked hackers have disrupted multiple US industrial sites

(Sean Lyngaas – CNN) Iran-linked hackers have successfully targeted and caused disruptions at multiple US oil and gas and water sites in recent weeks, according to a federal advisory released Tuesday and three sources familiar with the investigation. The hacking campaign marked an escalation of the cyberattacks launched by Tehran since the US-Israeli war with Iran began because it tested the safety systems at US industrial plants that protect human life. The hacks have caused some industrial processes at the sites to shut down, forcing them to operate manually, the sources said. That downtime has caused financial losses for some of the victims, the federal advisory said. The hackers have in some cases tried to use destructive malware, or “wipers,” to delete data from victim companies, but it was unclear if they were successful, two of the sources said. The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security’s cyber agency and others said Tuesday they were “urgently warning” US critical infrastructure firms about the ongoing hacking campaign, which officials said was aimed at causing “disruptive effects within the United States. – Iran-linked hackers have disrupted multiple US industrial sites | CNN Politics