NSA veteran chief fears crippling cyber-attack on Western energy infrastructure | Emergency Preparedness | Forums

 

"The greatest risk is a catastrophic attack on the energy infrastructure. We are not prepared for that," said General Keith Alexander, who has led the US battle against cyber-threats for much of the last decade.

 

Gen Alexander said the "doomsday" scenario for the West is a hi-tech blitz on refineries, power stations, and the electric grid, perhaps accompanied by a paralysing blow to the payments nexus of the major banks.

 

"We need something like an integrated air-defence system for the whole energy sector," he said, speaking at a private dinner held by IHS CERAWeek in Texas.

 

More insidiously, there is now a systematic effort by state-backed hacking teams to steal technology from Western companies. "This is the biggest wealth transfer in history," he said.

 

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