The Impact of Dragonfly Malware on Industrial Control Systems By Created by:Nell Nelson Archived: 2026-04-05 18:49:19 UTC Download File The Impact of Dragonfly Malware on Industrial Control Systems (PDF, 1.45MB)Published: 22 Jan, 2016 Dragonfly malware infected hundreds of business computers in an often successful attempt to collect information on industrial control systems across the United States and Europe. The attack was performed in an orchestrated manner over an extended period of time and used infection methods that were difficult to detect and thwart. The malware collected information vital to the operation of the impacted systems across the energy and pharmaceutical sectors. This abstract will explore the impact of Dragonfly Malware on systems used for automated industrial control. The content will explain the manner in which Dragonfly infiltrated business systems in both Europe and the United States, how it was discovered, and the immediate and future impact of the malware on infected systems and on the ICS industry. This paper will also discuss ways in which the industry can safeguard itself against future attacks similar to the Dragonfly malware effort. Additional resources Related courses Slide 1 of 7 ICS515: ICS Visibility, Detection, and Response ICS515Industrial Control Systems Security https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/ICS/impact-dragonfly-malware-industrial-control-systems-36672 Page 1 of 6 GIAC Response and Industrial Defense (GRID) 6 Days (Instructor-Led) 36 CPEs / 36 Hours (Self-Paced) Labs: 22 Hands-On Labs View course detailsRegister Slide 2 of 7 ICS418: ICS Security Essentials for Leaders ICS418Industrial Control Systems Security 12 CPEs / 12 Hours (Self-Paced) Labs: 12 Hands-On Labs View course detailsRegister Slide 3 of 7 ICS613: ICS/OT Penetration Testing & Assessments ICS613Industrial Control Systems Security https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/ICS/impact-dragonfly-malware-industrial-control-systems-36672 Page 2 of 6 5 Days (Instructor-Led) 30 CPEs / 30 Hours Labs: 27 Hands-On Labs View course detailsRegister Slide 4 of 7 ICS456: Essentials for NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection ICS456Industrial Control Systems Security https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/ICS/impact-dragonfly-malware-industrial-control-systems-36672 Page 3 of 6 GIAC Critical Infrastructure Protection (GCIP) 5 Days (Instructor-Led) 31 CPEs / 31 Hours (Self-Paced) Labs: 23 Hands-On Labs View course detailsRegister Slide 5 of 7 ICS310: ICS Cybersecurity Foundations ICS310Industrial Control Systems Security 12 CPEs / 12 Hours (Self-Paced) Labs: 3 Hands-On Labs View course detailsRegister Slide 6 of 7 ICS410: ICS/SCADA Security Essentials ICS410Industrial Control Systems Security https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/ICS/impact-dragonfly-malware-industrial-control-systems-36672 Page 4 of 6 GIAC Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP) 6 Days (Instructor-Led) 36 CPEs / 36 Hours (Self-Paced) Labs: 15 Hands-On Labs View course detailsRegister Slide 7 of 7 ICS612: ICS Cybersecurity In-Depth ICS612Industrial Control Systems Security https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/ICS/impact-dragonfly-malware-industrial-control-systems-36672 Page 5 of 6 5 Days (Instructor-Led) 30 CPEs / 30 Hours Labs: 31 Hands-On Labs View course detailsRegister Source: https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/ICS/impact-dragonfly-malware-industrial-control-systems-36672 https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/ICS/impact-dragonfly-malware-industrial-control-systems-36672 Page 6 of 6