According to cyber threat detection and hunting firm Vectra’s Spotlight Report on Energy and Utilities, utility companies are more likely to have hackers target their IT systems than attack critical infrastructure. It noted there is a difference between attacks that probe IT networks for information and access about critical infrastructure versus attacks against ICS. "The two are interconnected, but the targeted assets are different," the report’s authors said. "Cyber-criminals have been testing and mapping-out attacks against energy and utilities networks for years. These slow, quiet reconnaissance missions involve observing operator behaviors and building a unique plan of attack." According to the report, hackers use staging targets’ networks as pivot points and malware repositories when targeting their final intended victims. The report also found that administrative protocols are a favourite tool of attackers because they allow cyber criminals to move laterally inside networks where they have already established a durable foothold. SC Media.