Did Hackers Attack the Burlington Electric Department?

In December of 2016, several news sources reported that the Burlington Electric Department in Vermont had been hacked by Russian hackers. Many have blamed The Washington Post for circulating this incorrect story and failing to offer a proper retraction. The real story of what happened with Burlington Electric is significantly less exciting than the Post had us believe — which is, of course, a good thing.

Here’s What Really Happened

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security released a report towards the end of December that focused on Russia’s intent to influence the US election. Russia achieved this dominantly through hacking various US organizations and circulating propaganda that favored Donald Trump. The report detailed how a particular malicious code — which is often used by Russian hackers — was able to infiltrate the Democratic National Committee.

When the Burlington Electric Department scanned their computer system for malware, they discovered a laptop that they believed was infected with this code. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the latest malware, and to regularly scan your device for viruses. Click here to check your phone for security breaches:

The Laptop in Question

The laptop belonged to an organization in charge of one of Vermont’s power grids, but it was not connected to Burlington’s power grid. The malware that was initially discovered on the laptop was believed to have been a type of malicious code used in Grizzly Steppe, which is a Russian hacking operation.

However, after further investigation, it was revealed that the laptop had simply connected to an IP address that was occasionally associated with malicious activity. This type of Web traffic is not unusual. They did discover other malicious code on the computer, however — a package of malicious software tools designed to distribute malware.

Nonetheless, there is still no proof that the malware has any connection to Russian hackers or the Russian hacking operation. Further, it does not prove that Russian hackers were, in some form, attempting to access the Burlington electrical grid system.

Burlington Electric’s Statement

The Burlington Electric Department released a statement explaining that their department was not hacked in any way: no one stole customer information or compromised the electric grid. They were able to quickly isolate the laptop and handle the situation. Their statement also condemned all of the inaccurate reports. Further, they stated how this particular type of Web traffic is insignificant because it is happening all over the country and is not a targeted Russian attack.