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U.S. warns newly discovered malware could sabotage energy plants

Private security experts said they suspect liquefied natural gas facilities were the malware’s most likely target

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Updated April 13, 2022 at 7:37 p.m. EDT|Published April 13, 2022 at 6:37 p.m. EDT
This LNG plant in Barcelona is the largest in Europe. The energy crisis provoked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine has helped Spain and Portugal emerge in an strategically advantageous position as an “energy island” in Europe with a relatively low reliance on Russian natural gas. (Emilio Morenatti/AP)
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U.S. officials announced Wednesday the discovery of an alarmingly sophisticated and effective system for attacking industrial facilities that includes the ability to cause explosions in the energy industry.

The officials did not say which country they believed had developed the system, which was found before it was used, and they kept mum about who found the software and how.