The ISO report said that the hackers gained access only to non-critical sections of the computer. Although the attack did not result in any damage or operational problems, the potential existed for the hackers to enter the more heavily secured sections of the computer that control the movement of electric power. The report also reveals that the main offensive was routed through China Telecom from a computer in the Guangdong province of China. Hackers also apparently entered the system using Internet servers in Santa Clara and Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is not unusual for hacking attacks to be mounted from computers that are clandestinely controlled from elsewhere.
Officials say there is a positive side to the hacking attack.
It aided them in pinpointing security weaknesses in key computers used by the ISO to control the flow of electricity.