Hackers are targeting the remote workers who keep your lights on

A power plant is silhouetted against the morning sun in Glenrock, Wyoming. Recent attacks have focused on corporate computer systems rather than the ones that run the physical operations of power plants and grids. — AP

In July alone, hackers took over the twitter accounts of US politicians, stole terrabytes of coronavirus research and even infiltrated the UK’s Premier League soccer clubs. Can they cut off your electricity, too?

They’re trying. With millions of Americans now working from home – including the people who help keep the grid running – cyberattacks targeting the power sector have surged. In many cases, hackers use phishing emails to gain access to the computers of remote workers, looking to disable company systems for a ransom. But security experts warn that about dozen state-sponsored actors are also trying to infiltrate these networks.