Cybersecurity experts aren't surprised by the revelation contained within a package of leaked U.S. intelligence documents suggesting Russian-backed hackers successfully gained access to Canada's natural gas distribution network.
But they say there's a huge difference between gaining access to a company's network or servers, and actually disrupting Canada's energy supply or causing injury or property damage.
An apparent release of Pentagon documents onto social media sites recently appeared not only to detail U.S. and NATO operations in Ukraine, but also contained a claim by Russian-backed hackers that they successfully accessed Canada's natural gas infrastructure. Geoffrey Cann, a B.C.-based author and speaker who specializes in digital issues affecting the oil and gas industry, said Canada's energy sector is routinely targeted by cybercriminals for financial gain as well as by state-sponsored hackers hoping to create mayhem.
"Industrial facilities are made to be very safe. They’re made to survive human error, and devices failing," she said, adding it could take years for a cyber criminal to learn enough about a company's internal processes and equipment to actually cause an incident.
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