Infrastructure in the Americas at risk of damaging hacking attacks

San Francisco

HACKING attacks that destroy rather than steal data or that manipulate equipment are far more prevalent than widely believed, according to a survey of critical infrastructure organisations throughout North and South America.

The poll by the Organization of American States (OAS) released on Tuesday found that 40 per cent of respondents had battled attempts to shut down their computer networks, 44 per cent had dealt with bids to delete files and 54 per cent had encountered "attempts to manipulate" their equipment through a control system.