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Sweden Secretly Blames Russian Hackers For Taking Out Air Traffic Control: Report (theregister.co.uk)

Posted by msmash on from the not-sure-if-serious dept.

John Leyden, reporting for The Register: Sweden suspects a hacker group linked to Russian intelligence was responsible for an attack on its air traffic control systems last November, we're told. Air traffic control systems across much of Sweden were unavailable on November 4. Computer problems meant air traffic controllers were unable to use their displays, an issue that prompted the cancellation of multiple domestic and international flights. Arlanda, Landvetter and Bromma airports were particularly affected. The Swedish Civil Aviation Administration publicly blamed a solar storm. However, behind the scenes the Swedes were notifying NATO about a serious, ongoing cyber attack, Norwegian news outlet aldrimer.no reports.

50 comments

  1. So...why lie? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 0

    >> The Swedish Civil Aviation Administration publicly blamed a solar storm. However, behind the scenes the Swedes were notifying NATO about a serious, ongoing cyber attack

    I'm not a politician, so help me out here. What would be lost by telling the truth in this situation? Are people in charge afraid of "OMG* teh cyberhackers are gonna BORK crashen der planen BORK BORK" or what?

    * = "OK, probably not G as in God - this is Sweden."

    1. Re: So...why lie? by Frankzy · · Score: 1

      We still use old phrases such as the Swedish equivalent of omg. Although i make a point of using it in plural since i kinda wish the aesir faith was still a thing outside of some fringes...

    2. Re: So...why lie? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can't find many in the US interested in the old nordic religion that aren't racist skinheads. It's sad really.

  2. Air Gaps by Virtucon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    it still amazes me that SCADA implementations have back doors and direct Internet connectivity. Air Gaps people! No Internet/Intranet access to SCADA systems and access restrictions such as no USB thumb drives in machines and only personnel, verified and doubled up touch the network. It's pragmatic and off the shelf. Use it and then you won't potentially crash planes.

    --
    Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
    1. Re:Air Gaps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You assume, incorrectly, that the KGB has not placed any devices inside any network. I assume that every cable that's not in a locked room is comproised and that there's malicious hardware inside secure areas.

    2. Re: Air Gaps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think ATC systems use SCADA, most new and current systems are multithreaded real time systems with broadcast, multicast and unicast communications. Though a lot of these systems interact with archaeic last century technology such as x25. Only one system out of the multiple systems needs to fail to shut down ATC.

    3. Re:Air Gaps by Virtucon · · Score: 1

      cages solves that but granted a nefarious party conducting espionage would find a way to circumvent that but the obvious thing, Internet attack shouldn't be possible with SCADA isolation.

      --
      Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
    4. Re:Air Gaps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, my point is that your air gapped network may no longer be airgapped, and might have a covert transmitter covering that air gap.

    5. Re:Air Gaps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And if the system has no interface for networking? Cmon, you're really stretching things here. Yes airgaps can be compromised, but the great-grandparent has a point: they probably DO have Internet access in that SCADA system. Internet access is everywhere in places where it simply does not belong.

    6. Re:Air Gaps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If someone want's in your network bad enough and is skilled enough, they're probably going to get in. However its a big stretch from simply scanning the internet for known vulnerabilities & slipping spying hardware into pieces of equipment used by a large segment of the population/business community. Airgaps stop hacking to a high degree, only failing when an adversary devotes significant amounts of time & resources towards penetrating your security.

    7. Re: Air Gaps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why are you using computers? It sounds like you are advocating a hand-cranked system with typewriters and horses.

    8. Re:Air Gaps by Hentes · · Score: 1

      I'm guessing control systems on different airports need to communicate with each other directly.

    9. Re:Air Gaps by LordWabbit2 · · Score: 1

      So rent a dedicated line between them, there is no reason to plonk everything onto the internet other than bean counters cutting costs. I can't even begin to count the number of collossal fuckups caused because bean counters made decisions instead of people more qualified on the technical merits of doing xyz because they want to make 0.0001% more of a profit. But hey, I suppose their bonuses are at stake, so fuck everything else.

      --
      There are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third is statistics.
    10. Re:Air Gaps by sabbede · · Score: 1

      I can give you a 100% guarantee that it did no such thing. Beyond doubt and without reservation. How can I be so sure? Because the KGB ceased to exist in 1991. The FSB is it's current successor.

    11. Re:Air Gaps by Maritz · · Score: 1

      Mhmm. Shut it all down and go home eh?

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  3. maybe staying on windows 3.1 would of been better by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    maybe staying on windows 3.1 would of been better or not.

    https://tech.slashdot.org/stor...

  4. Obligatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In former Soviet Union, air traffic control takes out hackers.

    1. Re:Obligatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nyet.

      IN SOVIET RUSSIA, air traffic control system hacks YOU!

    2. Re:Obligatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      !

      In Putin's Russia, air traffic controls YOU!

  5. Solar Storm? by freak0fnature · · Score: 1

    It's amazing that a country so far north nearing the winter equinox would would be hit by a solar storm but not the rest of the world...particularly any in the southern hemisphere...so yes I will buy this Russian hacker theory.

    1. Re:Solar Storm? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Magnetic storms do produce surprisingly localized phenomena due to coupling with the surface. The 2003 storm caused power problems in a few hundred km wide areas in the Nordic. Also the charged particles do hit the Earth first from the direction of polar areas due to the magnetic field structure.

    2. Re:Solar Storm? by hey! · · Score: 2

      It took me a moment to figure out what you were writing about, then I realized you think that the body of the Earth somehow shields northern countries from the effects of geomagnetic storms. Solar storms don't work that way.

      A geomagnetic storm occurs when a mass of charged particles from the Sun interact with the Earth's magnetosphere, which is many times the Earth's diameter. Those particles follow the magnetic lines of force down to the polar areas, (even to the pole that is experiencing winter) where the particles are absorbed by the ionosphere. This current flow generates a magnetic field which in turn creates numerous effects, such as geomagnetically induced currents inpower transmission lines.

      There are basically no major inhabited areas as far south as Sweden is north; Stockholm is around 59N latitude; there are no major settlements south of 45S or so excepting a few villages and research stations. So the question should be if Sweden is suffering a geomagnetic storm, why not Russia, Norway, Finland and Russia?

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  6. Sure, blame the bogeyman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This reporting character is good at that.Good reason to not read him: He doesn't actually have anything to report beyond "hackers". But hey, if that's all the Swedes got, right up his alley too.

  7. Sweden informing NATO by Dunbal · · Score: 1

    Since when is Sweden a member of NATO?

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    1. Re:Sweden informing NATO by Flavianoep · · Score: 2

      They are not, but whom else could they turn to? The Swedes can't fight Russia themselves. It's too big.

      --
      Linux is for people who don't mind RTFM.
    2. Re:Sweden informing NATO by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · · Score: 1

      I bet if they asked the Finns nicely. The Finns have a knack for shooting Russian troops.

      --
      Time to offend someone
    3. Re:Sweden informing NATO by Flavianoep · · Score: 2

      I they are so resourceful for fighting Russians, why where they so afraid of them?

      --
      Linux is for people who don't mind RTFM.
    4. Re:Sweden informing NATO by swb · · Score: 1

      You might want to blame the Swedes.

    5. Re:Sweden informing NATO by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      They are not, but whom else could they turn to?

      Well that's one of the problems with neutrality, isn't it? Of course it's becoming more and more clear what Sweden means by "neutral". We want NATO protection, but don't want to pay to support it or commit anything to it... I never realized that nations could go on welfare too.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    6. Re:Sweden informing NATO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > We want NATO protection, but don't want to pay to support it or commit anything to it

      Huh? Sweden has a massive military effort and spends more on "defence" than most of outright NATO members. Their military-industrial complex is quite famous. A nation of just 5.5 million yet they build their own fighter jet, the SAAB JAS-39 Gripen. They build their own Bradley-like fighting vehicle, in fact a bit heavier, called the CV-90. They build silent submarines and missile corvettes and long range artillery and air defence guided missiles and radars and whatnot. They do limited exports, but only to foreign countries that are not outrageously rogue. They have an excellent reputation for delivering the promised weapon system capability within timeframe and budget.

      On the other hand, Sweden had military conscription until very recently. It is like the draft, except that ALL able bodied and minded young males are drafted for a year or two. Now some in the leadership want conscription back so that the russian threat can be faced with not just quality, but quantity as well.

    7. Re:Sweden informing NATO by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      If you run fast enough you might still catch the point, it's way over there somewhere ----> .

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    8. Re:Sweden informing NATO by rtb61 · · Score: 0

      Insider manipulation to force it to join NATO. NATO or more accurately the North American Territorial Occupation farce demand that when you join (like joining a mafia protection racket) them you privatise all government arms manufacturers and sell them to US/UK corporations and then demand 2% of GDP be spent on those arms. 2% of GDP doesn't sound much but that isn't 2% of federal tax revenues, nope, that is 2% of total revenue, when you do the numbers that 2% rapidly becomes more like 25% of federal tax revenues (regardless of deficits, more austerity so you can buy more stuff to basically either throw away or blow up). I would far more suspect NATO hacking to make it look like Russian hacking because they want to force Sweden into NATO. It looks very much like the US government has lost control of NATO to the US/UK military industrial complex and they are carrying out all sorts of psychopathically insane plots and schemes to run up arms industry profits and the kick backs that it produces. NATO also looks to be pushing into cyber security and border controls (hence repeated cyber attacks made to look like they are coming from Russia and China and Turkey releasing a whole bunch of ill behaved rapey refugees into Europe). So how do you make it look likes it comes from Russia or China, well, who owns the fucking cables that traffic is travelling on and who can fucking intercept it and who can inject traffic right fucking into it. So on noes please NATO rescue us from NATO sic (they kind of pushed to much and nobody is buying their bullshit any more and Russia is no longer the greatest threat to NATO but NATO members are now the greatest threat to NATO or more accurately the North American Territorial Occupation farce). As trillions are up for grabs expect them to become quite vicious when it comes to sealing leaks ie investigative journalists, quite a few have died in the last few years.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    9. Re:Sweden informing NATO by emj · · Score: 1

      If you run fast enough you might still catch the point, it's way over there somewhere ----> .

      The relationship between Sweden and NATO is long and stable, the reason for not being an actual member is a political one not about economics. That's one of the things gp means.

    10. Re:Sweden informing NATO by chilvence · · Score: 1

      [citation needed]

    11. Re:Sweden informing NATO by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · · Score: 1

      Well Finland use to be the Grand Duchy of Finland of Russia even if it was antonymous. I would somewhat imagine it was much like how Hong Kong is antonymous from mainland China. So there has been Russian influence long before the Soviets. WWII was a good chance to shoot some Soviets as they were distracted.

      --
      Time to offend someone
    12. Re: Sweden informing NATO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thank you Mr Putin

    13. Re:Sweden informing NATO by Maritz · · Score: 1

      Insider manipulation to force it to join NATO. NATO or more accurately the North American Territorial Occupation

      Doesn't Emperor Putin let you use paragraph tags?

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
  8. The government lies to its people? by davidwr · · Score: 1

    The Swedish Civil Aviation Administration publicly blamed a solar storm. However, behind the scenes the Swedes were notifying NATO about a serious, ongoing cyber attack, Norwegian news outlet aldrimer.no reports.

    Wait, you mean the government lied to its people?

    I'm shocked, I tell you, shocked. We must report this to the authorities at once. I'm sure a proper government-run investigation will get to the bottom of this quickly and the responsible people will be punished. You can count on it.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  9. Implications by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The reason why they don't immediately say it's the Russians is because they don't want the public to demand retaliatory measures, which would just escalate the situation dangerously.

  10. Sweden will soon face a tin foil shortage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Recently they were spreading the idea that a Russian sub was in their waters but had no proof.

    It sounds like they are taking pages from the US government playbook: Spread fear early and often to maintain power.

    1. Re:Sweden will soon face a tin foil shortage by Plammox · · Score: 2

      Ever heard about the Whiskey on the Rocks incident?

    2. Re:Sweden will soon face a tin foil shortage by smooth+wombat · · Score: 1, Informative

      There is no amount of "proof" which would cause the Russians to admit their sub was in Swedish waters.

      Considering all the pictures and videos of Soviet troops, tanks, artillery and related vehicles crossing into Ukraine, despite captured Russian troops and nearly 2,000 dead Russian soldiers, despite terrorists in East Ukraine openly stating Russian troops are fighting along side them, Russia still maintains it is not actually invading Ukraine.

      --
      We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
  11. Show some stones Sweden and Finland by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Join NATO and the Russian punks will be less trouble.

  12. Nothing wrong with the Finns by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But they need to get the land back that Stalin seized. Vyborg does not sound like the name of a Russian town.

    1. Re:Nothing wrong with the Finns by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They were assimilated; resistance was futile.

  13. I seriously doubt it was Russia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I seriously doubt it was Russia, Russia have been aggressing towards Nato nations they are not going to just start aggressing against everyone, things not work that way in real live, why make enemies you don't have to what is their motivation. If Russia's motivation was for Sweden to improve the security of their traffic control system then they have achieved that goal otherwise what? why would they do it and simply becase they can or to be and arsehole isn't a good reason. So I don't believe it was the Russians.

    1. Re:I seriously doubt it was Russia by sabbede · · Score: 1
      Why would they be trying to get Sweden to improve security? And what about reports of Russian subs hanging out is Swedish territory (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/sweden/11173033/Sweden-hunts-for-suspected-Russian-submarine-in-Cold-War-style-drama.html)?

      Putin has been screwing with Russia's neighbors for years, invading Georgia and Ukraine, attempting to inflame ethnic tensions and launching cyber attacks in Lithuania... Anything he can do to disrupt or destabilize his neighbors and Europe in general. For all we know, he's taken the ethnicity issue to an extreme and decided Sweden should be part of Russia because the Rus were Swedish viking-mercenaries.

      Or it could just be a continuation of his "sour grapes" policy of trying to make Europe look bad to discourage former Soviet satellites from moving closer to the EU. The sour grapes part is due to Russia's deep seated resentment towards Europe - for centuries Russians have sought to be recognized and accepted as European, and have always been rebuffed. So Putin has been playing on that as a domestic political ploy.

    2. Re:I seriously doubt it was Russia by Maritz · · Score: 1

      That would be more persuasive if it wasn't already abundantly clear that Russia is fucking around with Sweden.

      --
      I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
    3. Re:I seriously doubt it was Russia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There was zero proof that there were any subs, numbnuts

  14. Should be air gapped by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

    All the ATC systems I worked on up to 2012 were airgapped, apart from a few very low bandwidth links which would be used to pull in meteo type data. No opportunity for a DOS there.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au