Chinese, Russian cyberspies hack U.S. electricity grid

So, as we know, China has a growing cyber militia; has hacked NASA to steal secret information on satellites, rockets, etc.; and is considered to be “one of the greatest potential espionage threats over the next decade.” Most recently, we learned that China hacked classified documents of government and private organizations from over 103 countries (Russia was absent from the list).

Now, intelligence agencies have discovered that cyberspies from China, Russia and other countries have infiltrated our electricity grid, leaving behind software to disrupt the system. Reportedly, their goal was to map the system and its controls. The hackers did not try to damage the grid in this instance but (the article suggests) by leaving behind the disruptive software, they could have regained access to it in the future to disrupt or damage it.

Officials said water, sewage and other infrastructure systems also were at risk.

“Over the past several years, we have seen cyberattacks against critical infrastructures abroad, and many of our own infrastructures are as vulnerable as their foreign counterparts,” Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair recently told lawmakers. “A number of nations, including Russia and China, can disrupt elements of the U.S. information infrastructure.”

Is it true that thus far we have “lost the counterintelligence war against the Chinese intelligence services”?

H/T: Rhetorican and Instapundit.