Several high-profile public companies recently had their computer systems hit by hackers.
Computer criminals say they have hacked their way into networks operated by Shell, Philips and GE, along with about 50 others, including Siemens.
The Russian hacking organization Clop said it had stolen sensitive data from the companies. According to Reuters, Philips confirmed the attack, while Shell acknowledged a possible incident.
“Philips has identified and contained an attempted cybersecurity compromise of a specific enterprise server related to internal data,” the company said in a statement.
GE acknowledged Clop’s claim without confirming it occurred.
Several U.S. government agencies also announced that Siemens S7 programmable logic controllers (PLC) were the target of recent attacks. The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), FBI, Department of Energy (DOE), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a cybersecurity advisory urging owners and operators of industrial control systems (ICSs) to protect their devices. IndustryWeek said the targeted units include the S7-200, S7-300, S7-400, S7-1200 and S7-1500 models.
The government recommended inventorying all Siemens PLCs, applying security patches, blocking them from the internet, and monitoring for security breaches.
The suspected hacking attacks follow similar incidents involving PLCs at public water systems in at least a dozen states, including Michigan, Minnesota and New Jersey. Iran-backed groups are thought to be behind the incidents.
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