The report was based on a survey completed by 600 executives and technology managers from infrastructure operators in 14 countries.
The report was prepared by McAfee Inc., which makes security software, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, which analyzed the data and conducted additional interviews. The respondents aren’t named, and specifics aren’t given about what happened in the attacks.
The report was released as concerns grow about state-sponsored hacking and threats to critical infrastructure.
In November, CBS’s “60 Minutes’’ said several Brazilian power outages were caused by hackers, a report Brazilian officials have played down. In April, US government officials said spies hacked into the US electric grid and left behind computer programs that could disrupt service. The intrusions were discovered after electric companies gave the government permission to audit their systems.
In the new report, 54 percent of respondents acknowledged that they had been hit by “stealthy infiltration’’ of their networks.
In such break-ins, criminals can plant malicious software to steal files, spy on e-mails, and even remotely control equipment inside a utility.
