Vermont utility confirms finding Russian malware code on laptop

A state electric utility yesterday confirmed finding a malware code on one of its laptops, which the US government said was used by Russian hackers.

According to The Burlington Electric Department, US utilities were alerted by the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday of a malware code used in Grizzly Steppe, the name Homeland Security had given to a Russian campaign linked to recent hacks.

Burlington Electric added that it detected the malware in a laptop not connected to its grid systems. It said it took "immediate action to isolate the laptop and alerted federal officials."

"Our team is working with federal officials to trace this malware and prevent any other attempts to infiltrate utility systems," it said in an emailed statement.

It added, it had briefed state officials and would fully support an investigation into the allegedly Russian hack. Russia, which had been accused of interfering in the US presidential election by hacking US political sites and email accounts, has denied hacking US systems.

According to governor Peter Shumlin, his administration had been in touch with the federal government and the state's utilities.

"Vermonters and all Americans should be both alarmed and outraged that one of the world's leading thugs, (Russian president) Vladimir Putin, has been attempting to hack our electric grid, which we rely upon to support our quality-of-life, economy, health, and safety," he said in a statement.

"The grid is not in danger," Vermont Public Service commissioner Christopher Recchia told the Burlington Free Press. "The utility flagged it, saw it, notified appropriate parties and isolated that one laptop with that malware on it."

 ''We acted quickly to scan all computers in our system for the malware signature,'' Mike Kanarick, Burlington Electric's communications officer, said in the statement. ''We detected the malware in a single Burlington Electric Department laptop not connected to our organization's grid systems.'' He added that the company alerted federal officials immediately.