(A blast furnace at a German steel mill. Photo Credit: Ulrich Baumgarten via Getty Images)
A steel mill in Germany was hacked by spear phishing attack, with this digital attack causing large-scale damage to the industrial plant.
By spoofing inter-company emails, the hackers gained access to the system and then overrode the controls of a blast furnace. By blocking access and preventing workers from regaining the controls, the hackers were able to cause widespread damage.
While many hacks involve the transfer of digital data into the wrong hands, this attack is notable for the real-world consequences—a scary portent of hacks to come. The closest equivalent might be the Stuxnet virus, which destroyed parts of a burgeoning nuclear program in Iran. The virus caused the centrifuges to spin too fast, damaging themselves in the process.
Via Ars Technica