Foreign spies have infiltrated the US electrical grid, leaving behind software programs that could disrupt the system in a time of war, American national security officials have claimed.
The intruders, who came from countries including China and Russia, were believed to be attempting to map the US electrical system and work out how it was controlled, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal.
Officials said the cyberspies had not tried to damage the grid, but warned they could during a crisis or war.
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"The Chinese have attempted to map our infrastructure, such as the electrical grid," a senior intelligence official told the paper. "So have the Russians."
The intrusion spread across the country and didn't target any specific companies or regions, a former Department of Homeland Security official said. "There are intrusions, and they are growing," the former official said, referring to electrical systems. "There were a lot last year."
