Tag Archive for: energy

Cyberattack hits Nunavut’s Qulliq Energy Corp. 

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Computer systems at Qulliq Energy Corp. are still down after a cybersecurity attack on Sunday, and Nunavut customers are being urged to check their bank accounts and credit cards for any unusual activity that could be related to the attack. 

Qulliq Energy Corp. (QEC) announced the cyberattack in a news release Thursday. 

“As soon as we learned there was a possible issue, we activated our crisis response plan to take control of the situation,” said Rick Hunt, president and CEO of QEC, in the release. “Our focus is on returning to normal operations while determining what information may have been impacted, all the while doing our utmost to serve our customers.”

Outside cybersecurity experts are working alongside QEC’s and the Government of Nunavut’s IT teams to investigate the cause and scope of the attack. 

Power plants across the territory are operating as usual, and power-related outages or emergencies can still be reported by calling 1-833-313-3030. 

QEC said an outside party is investigating the attack, and that it intends to notify anyone directly affected by the breach. 

Credit cards not being accepted

For now, customers can pay bills using cash in person in Iqaluit or Baker Lake, through Northern or Co-op stores and local banks in all communities, and by bank transfer through telephone or internet banking services. 

But credit card payments cannot be accepted, either in person or through telephone banking.

In a news release, Premier P.J. Akeeagok says the government is “actively assisting” in the power corporation’s response to the attack. 

It says staff from the Departments of Community and Government Services, Justice, Finance and Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs have been deployed to help. 

“These types of attacks are criminal,” Akeeagok’s statement reads. “Expert cyber-security and legal advice have been retained and the RCMP are assisting QEC’s ongoing investigation. The corporation is following best practices and taking the utmost caution to protect the private information of QEC’s customers.”

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Microsoft says attackers are hacking energy grids by exploiting decades-old software • TechCrunch

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Microsoft has warned that malicious hackers are exploiting a discontinued web server found in common Internet of Things (IoT) devices to target organizations in the energy sector.

In an analysis published on Tuesday, Microsoft researchers said they had discovered a vulnerable open source component in the Boa web server, which is still widely used in a range of routers and security cameras, as well as popular software development kits (SDKs), despite the software’s retirement in 2005. The technology giant identified the component while investigating a suspected Indian electric grid intrusion first detailed by Recorded Future in April, where Chinese state-sponsored attackers used IoT devices to gain a foothold on operational technology (OT) networks, used to monitor and control physical industrial systems.

Microsoft said it has identified one million internet-exposed Boa server components globally over the span of a one-week period, warning that the vulnerable component poses a “supply chain risk that may affect millions of organizations and devices.”

The company added that it continues to see attackers attempting to exploit Boa flaws, which include a high-severity information disclosure bug (CVE-2021-33558) and another arbitrary file access flaw (CVE-2017-9833).

“The known [vulnerabilities] impacting such components can allow an attacker to collect information about network assets before initiating attacks and to gain access to a network undetected by obtaining valid credentials,” Microsoft said, adding that this can allow the attackers to have a “much greater impact” once the attack is initiated.

Microsoft said the most recent attack it observed was the compromise of Tata Power in October. This breach resulted in the Hive ransomware group publishing data stolen from the Indian energy giant, which included sensitive employee information, engineering drawings, financial and banking records, client records and some private keys.

“Microsoft continues to see attackers attempting to exploit Boa vulnerabilities beyond the timeframe of the released report, indicating that it is still targeted as an attack vector,” Microsoft said.

The company has…

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New center brings U-EPIC research power to the energy transition – @theU

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In a world in transition away from fossil fuels, the need for reliable and affordable renewable energy is clear. But there’s so much more that goes into the energy transition than just the technology needed to provide clean energy. How will students prepare for a workforce and industry that’s still coming into focus? How can the clean energy enterprise equitably support economic development and prosperity among all members of the community?

To address those questions, the University of Utah has launched the new Utah Energy & Power Innovation Center (U-EPIC), an interdisciplinary research center. With a team that includes engineers, social scientists, climate scientists and computer scientists, U-EPIC’s mission is to “innovate the future of equitable, sustainable and resilient power and energy infrastructure.”

Learn more about the center here.

Solving the serious challenges of our time

Ensuring clean, equitable and affordable energy is one of the biggest challenges of our time, says Masood Parvania, associate professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and director of U-EPIC.

“We are given an unprecedented once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the transition of energy industry to utilize clean, sustainable, and distributed sources of energy, while ensuring that the benefits of this transition, including air quality, economic development, employment opportunity, and access to clean energy are equitably distributed within the society,” he says. “Nobody and no community should be left behind in this transition.”

Achieving these goals requires interdisciplinary research, such as improving the resilience of energy infrastructure in the face of more frequent wildfires and hurricanes. U-EPIC researchers focus on four research topics:

Learn more about U-EPIC research programs here.

Benefitting student workforce preparation

Through a collaboration between U-EPIC and the Energy and Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah, students will be able to earn a Resilient Energy Certificate designed to “address the local workforce requirements of the changing energy landscape, meeting the increasing demand for specialized energy workers.”

To train students, “U-EPIC…

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South Korean president to visit Canada, talk trade, energy and security with Trudeau

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OTTAWA —
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to discuss trade and security issues with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a scheduled visit to Canada next week.

Yoon is to visit Toronto and Ottawa on Sept. 22 and 23 in what Trudeau’s office says is his first bilateral visit abroad since he was elected in March.

A statement says Trudeau is to meet with Yoon while he is in Ottawa.

Trudeau plans to discuss ways the two countries can strengthen their trade relationship by working more closely on energy, including electric vehicle batteries and critical minerals, and supply chains.

The two are also set to talk about regional security issues on the Korean Peninsula, such as monitoring of North Korean maritime activities.

Also on the agenda are discussions that are expected to see the two leaders continue condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and reaffirming their support for the Ukrainian people.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2022.

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