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THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAN CONFLICT

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Hackers have breached tank readers at U.S. gas stations; officials suspect Iran is responsible

(Engin Akyurt / Pixabay)

By Sean Lyngaas

U.S. officials suspect Iranian hackers are behind a series of breaches of systems that monitor the amount of fuel in storage tanks serving gas stations in multiple states, according to multiple sources briefed on the activity.

The hackers responsible have exploited automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems that were sitting online and unprotected by passwords, allowing them in some cases to tinker with display readings on the tanks but not the actual levels of fuel in them, the sources said.

The cyber intrusions are not known to have caused physical damage or harm, but the breaches have raised safety concerns because gaining access to an ATG could, in theory, allow a hacker to make a gas leak go undetected, according to private experts and US officials.

Read more at CNN

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