The US State Department has promised to pay $10 million for the capture of Russians who hacked nuclear power plants and power grids using old Cisco devices

Not lone hackers, but intelligence agents from the FSB

The U.S. State Department has announced a $10 million reward for information that will help apprehend three Russians suspected of large-scale cyber attacks on critical U.S. infrastructure. But it's not just "hackers from the basement" who know this. According to the authorities, they are Russian intelligence officers affiliated with the FSB's Center 16, known in the cybersecurity world as Berserk Bear.

Their task is not to steal money or install a ransomware program. Their goal is to collect data, draw up network diagrams, and gain access to management systems. Prepare for the future, not for the chaos of today.

Hacking through a vulnerability in old hardware

The most striking thing is that they did not use state—of-the-art exploits, but the long-known vulnerability CVE-2018-0171 in Cisco routers. The problem is that this equipment is still used in thousands of organizations, and not all of them have updated it. The attackers found such nodes, gained access, and began to move around the network unnoticed.

This is not hacking, but penetration. It was quiet and methodical, like intelligence during the Cold War, but instead of spies with cameras, there were codes and logins.

Targets — Nuclear power plants, oil and gas industry, electric networks

Since 2012, the group has allegedly attacked more than 3,300 people in 500 organizations around the world. The main targets are energy: oil and gas companies, nuclear power plants, utilities, and power grid operators. They didn't turn off the lights —they studied how to do it.

Their job is to prepare the ground. Assemble a network map, find out who has access to SCADA systems, and what protocols are used. If you ever need to turn off the station or change the data, everything will be ready.

How they caught a break-in at a nuclear power plant

One of the most disturbing episodes is the attack on the Wolf Creek nuclear power plant in Kansas. The suspects deployed spyware that collected the credentials of employees who had access to critical systems. The hack was detected not by automation, but because the operators themselves suspected something was wrong and contacted the FBI.

This shows that the main vulnerability is not in the hardware, but in the fact that no one expected such an attack. And now the United States is deciding differently - not just blocking IP addresses, but hunting down the agents themselves.

Sources

1. IndustrialCyber.co — FBI warning on Russian FSB Center 16 & Cisco CVE-2018-0171
2. Utility Dive — ongoing attacks and vulnerability exploitation
3. FBI IC3 — official bulletin on FSB-linked cyber campaigns
4. SecurityMedia.org — Cisco flaw and Russian hacker activity
5. CyberScoop — investigation of Static Tundra group tied to FSB Center 16

SkyDefense unveils CobraJet electric unmanned fighter

The American defense company SkyDefense, based in Colorado, has introduced a new development — the CobraJet unmanned aerial vehicle. It is a high-speed electric fighter with vertical takeoff and landing, designed to protect critical infrastructure and military installations.

The CobraJet is capable of speeds of over 200 miles per hour (about 320 kilometers per hour) and is equipped with artificial intelligence, which allows it to autonomously detect, track and neutralize several fast and inconspicuous targets — for example, enemy drones — in a single mission. Its vertical takeoff and landing capability makes it particularly flexible to use, as it does not require a long runway to launch.

The drone's weapons are placed both in the inner compartment and on the outer nodes under the fuselage. It can use guided gliding bombs for pinpoint strikes on land and sea targets, which extends its functionality beyond drone defense tasks.

The development of CobraJet reflects the growing need for fast, autonomous and maneuverable systems capable of effectively countering modern threats, especially in environments where traditional aviation may not be operational enough.

Bundeswehr has formed the first territorial Defense division to protect critical infrastructure

 The German Armed forces, the Bundeswehr, have formed and consolidated the first Territorial Defense Division (Heimatschutzdivision). 

This was announced at a ceremonial formation at the Julius Leber barracks in Berlin on Thursday, March 14, by the commander of the Bundeswehr ground forces, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais.

The personnel of this unit will number 6,000 people. Its tasks will include protecting critical infrastructure (ports, railway facilities, pipelines, roads, bridges, and so on), as well as facilitating the transfer of troops and assistance in case of emergencies.