Central Hudson Gas and Electric based in Poughkeepsie, New York is working with state and federal authorities and industry groups to investigate a cyber attack earlier this month where hackers gained entry to as many as 110,000 customer accounts. Employees detected the computer system intrusion, which happened over a weekend, as a result of regular control procedures, the utility said.
So far there appears to be no evidence that customer information was misused or downloaded during the incident, but the utility has warned customers to monitor bank accounts for suspicious or unauthorized activity. Newsday reports that while customer information may have been compromised, a company spokesman indicated there is no evidence the intruders found their way to the electric infrastructure. The investigation is continuing.
Central Hudson is offering affected customers free enrollment for a year in a credit monitoring and identity theft protection program. News and FAQs about the cyber incident is posted on the utility website.
News of the Central Hudson cyber attack comes as government officials have been issuing warnings with increasing urgency about cyber threats aimed at the energy sector and others. Among them:
