Hackers Arrested from Tampering with Radiation Alert System

Industry: Critical Infrastructure | Level: Strategic | Source: BleepingComputer

Two hackers have been arrested by the Spanish police for hacking the country's radioactivity alert network (RAR). As reported by BleepingComputer, the attack occurred between March and June 2021, by two former contractors who had knowledge of the RAR system as they were contracted by the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies (DGPGE). The hackers executed an effective cyberattack having an understanding of the system, "The two arrested individuals gained illegitimate access to DGPGE's network and attempted to delete the RAR management web application in the control center. In parallel, the duo launched individual attacks against sensors, taking down 300 out of 800 spread across Spain, essentially breaking their link to the control center and disrupting the data exchange." The National Police were able to identify the hackers by tracing network activity through the communication of sabotaged sensors to a public network of a hospitality facility located in Madrid.

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