Automatic tank gauge systems targeted by cyber actors, agencies warn

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other federal agencies released a fact sheet June 2 on malicious cyber activity targeting U.S.-based automatic tank gauge systems, which provide automated and remote monitoring of storage tank parameters, including fuel and liquid levels, temperature and possible leak detection. The agencies said that cyber actors have compromised internet-exposed ATG systems and modified them through command execution. The activity has not yet been attributed to a nation-state or threat actor group. 
 
“Hospitals using these systems to monitor supplies of medical gas or other substances used in support of operations should pay particular attention to this alert,” said Scott Gee, AHA deputy national advisor for cybersecurity and risk. “These systems often have significant vulnerabilities from a cybersecurity perspective, including hard-coded passwords and outdated software. An attacker that is able to exploit these vulnerabilities could cause serious real-world impact in a hospital. It is strongly recommended that these systems be blocked from any public-facing internet exposure to minimize risk of attack.” 
 
For more information on this or other cyber and risk issues, contact Gee at sgee@aha.org. For the latest cyber and risk resources and threat intelligence, visit aha.org/cybersecurity.