far. >> unbelievable. that's if for this edition of the al jazeera america international hour. >> tomorrow on the show on indepth look at the government in greece trying to ease fears over athen's debt. "america tonight" is next. ^ below "america tonight" is next. ht" is next. on "america tonight.".. >> i'm not gay no more. i'm delivered. i don't like men no more. i like women, women. >> reporter: how do you decide not to be gay any more? >> well it may seem a little complicated to some people. >> no foreign nation no hacker should be able to shut down our networks. >> reporter: can we think of

these are cyber sleep cells activated at a later state. >> if you ask me if someone is preparing the battlefields against united states and allies - you bet it is. good evening, i'm joie chen an invasion is unway in our country, you may not see it. it threatens security could take down power plants and chemical facilities. we saw how something frivolous as emails between sony expects can become the point of crisis. now an explanation of how we are all put at rick. >> you ask me is someone preparing a battlefield against xl united states and allies - you bet. >> reporter: this is a husband and wife team tracking a cyber threat. malware invading critical

structure. >> the only reason to break in is to figure out how it works to figure out how to use that to bring down the grid. it's not only esbianage, it's the mapping and reconnaissance of the industrial control systems in western energy producing companies. >> the malware is dubbed black energy. kyle is a virus hunter who has been tracking the threat. when unleashed inside his lab, he found that black energy could be remotely programmed to evolve, from esbianage to sabotage. >> the concerning aspect is that it is modular in nature. you can take code and introduce it into black energy and weaponize is to be destructive. >> this is what weaponized malware looks like. in 2007 the idaho national laboratory launched aurora an

attack to see if researchers could damage a power plant by hacking into the control system. it destroyed a power joinderor, common. experts worry that black energy could do something similar. >> black energy where it was found in an industrial controlled system seems to be geared towards taking control of the system and directing it rather than sifonic off information from it. >> which is more frightling. >> yes, it is. >> jen manages a team of cyber slooths at fibre eye. a firm in northern virginia. her team hunts hackers, whose level of sophistication hints at the involvement of a nation state, an adverse urea of the u.s. -- adversary of the u.s. >> how can you sure they are russian actors. >> we know that it's been developed by russians in the criminal underground. there are a lot of tell-tale signs that there's a nexus to

russia. >> because black energy began its life as crime ware attributing it to the kremlin is difficult. >> it makes it challenging to tease out is it criminal or something that nation states may have brought from criminals. >> the targets of black energy and the digital fingerprints in its code led her team to a group in russia known as sam worm. >> we linked the malware and infrastructure to call home to another known russian group. that was also observed targetting a lot of person governments, n.a.t.o. some u.s. academics, and so the same group conducting political espionage used black energy to get into infrastructure. >> how high does it go? >> there's no benign explanation for why someone in russia is interested in how lights go on

and off in ohio. >> reporter: they were both present when russia used black energy to cripple the internet before the 2008 invasion. >> i was invited to the minister's office. we all experienced this cyber attack. >> all of a sudden we see first ever combined war, where we had tanks pouring through the tunnel and we had literally a cyber war to create confusion and immoralisation in georgia. >> the cyber attacks had the fingerprints of a russian cyber gang. the timing pointed to the russian government. >> people were trying to find who did it? was it criminals, is it government the answer to both questions is yes, it's the russian government using criminal groups. >> by using cyber criminals to do the dirty work the kremlin can tack into a highly skilled

workforce, giving plausible deniability. >> they do because it's tradition. at the statement it is cost effective and skilful that they utilise. >> it's like having a reserve force and not paying a penalty. it's honing the skills buying the equipment, making money. it's involved in all kinds of cyber crime. when you need them you have an expert core of cyber warriors ready to go. >> they say vladimir putin allows the hackers to operate cyber enterprises with impunity but with a catch. >> you do these things as long as you don't attack the interests of the russian state. other than that you can do this. the deal is you do your thing. when we need your help we'll ask for our help. >> ironicly the roots of the threat may have grown out of what is america's successful cyber sabotage campaign.

had you seen anything like that before? >> no there wasn't anything like that before. >> computer security expert is talking about stuksnet which he helped to decrowd. code -- decode. it was the first weaponized virus. >> it is a weapon it's not like a weapon, it is. it was designed to cause physical damage. >> it allegedly launched by the u.s. in israel set back iran's nuclear programme by several years. malicious kad causing centrifuges to blow apart. the vulnerability of control systems could be turned against us. he worries. >> the components are used in chemical plants nuclear plants everywhere. we opened pandora's box without any idea clue of how we would deal with that when somebody turns that around. and that turn around is only a

question of time. >> no hacker should be able to shut down the network, steal the trade secrets or invade the privacy of families especially our kids. >> while president obama recently warned the nation about cyber threats. critics say the bill he is pushing congress to pass would do little. experts believe that the nation will only grow more vulnerable. >> these devices are more interconnected more network connected, exposing them to a wider target base. >> meanwhile, other nations are discovering america's achilles heel. >> black energy is not the first malware that we have seen hinted at being, you know in this space. we have seen some china based groups that have - that look like they are probing related information. >> in fact they found 50

different types of malware targetting energy companies, and a survey found that 37% of businesses in the u.s. energy sector were infiltrated with viruses like black energy. >> now, i'm not sure that we are prepared. and this is a wake up call. >> do you think it's a matter of when not if... >> absolutely. we just cannot continue this way any longer. we have to really take care about security and the bad news is it will cost money, unless somebody it doing to do that nothing is going to change al jazeera contribute your and former c.i.a. officer lindsay moran here says one of the experts say it goes to vladimir putin. i thought the cold war was over. >> we have seen an increase in cold war rhetorics, and hostilities have never been greater between russia and the west since the cold war, up

until now. what you have to understand is this is personal for vladimir putin. he has made no bones about the fact that he wants to restore russia to its previous greatness. so that includes you know increased nuclear capabilities a modernized navy and what we are seeing new tools in what is essentially information warfare. >> matching you threat for threat. >> absolutely. >> so much of this is pointed at the energy infrastructure. sac like 50 types of malware pointed at the energy. what is the serious risk. people lose their power for the day. >> we have to live with it. >> it could be more than an inconvenience. >> when you think of new york city, the blackout. a large scale. this could impact americans and go behind inconvenience. >> health risks, absolutely. >> we are not just talking about

the grid, we are talking about pipe lines, nuclear facilities any and any critical infrastructure. they are seeking inroads. >> when you talk about infrastructure that razes the other point. how has united states prepared itself. we talk about bridges and roads. are we well prepared on this front. >> no we are vulnerable. we don't have regulatory infrastructure in place to demand that utilities tighten security that is part of the problem. some don't know they have been infected and remedying the situation is expensive. so it's almost like we are sitting back helplessly waiting for something bad to happen. >> a great vulnerability. thank you next a conflict in ukraine and the growing concern. our nations top diplomat headed to the region why the u.s. may

provide military aid to combat the pro-russian rebels. >> later the church that put faith into praying away the gang. >> i don't like men no more. i said i like women. women, women a new mission for the faithful - a cure for sexuality and hot on "america tonight"s website. l.g.b.t. tell russian's lori jane gliha why it wasn't safe for them to stay home and why they want asylum in the u.s. that's aljazeera.com/americatonight.

in a segment we call "fast-forward", more on a story you might have miss the. we hear reports of clashes and death in eastern ukraine. it can be hard for us here to understand, really feel what it's like to live in a civil war where something as simple as saying the wrong thing in the wrong place can get you in deep trouble. "america tonight"s sheila macvicar met a man who faced that crisis. >> reporter: on the morning express to eastern ukraine pablo is haunted by tough memories. he is a 34-year-old theatre director on his way back to the town of slovyansk, where he was held hostage for two months. so it's a building that gives off a bad feeling. >> it is. it looks like a place where you can torture people and they were hitting us screening glory

to ukraine, no. they hit us. at the same time the guy was putting a knife to my ear, the other putting petrol on my head. pointing gun to my body. >> reporter: this is the gaol you were held. after you got out of the basement. >> yes, after two weeks in the basement we were moved to the detention center here. when the protests were taken out down here they were saying they were going to the hotel. compared to the basement. it is okay. we called it hotel california. so we used to walk from this side about 300 times, 330 times. for one kilometre. >> so that you would walk in your cell 6km a day. >> yes, and counted how many kilometres with the matches. >> the separatist left in a hurry on 4 july when the

ukrainian army encircled slovyansk they face a flood of refugees from the east fleeing cities under shelling like debaltseve where there's not enough food water, power, medical supplies. secretary of state john kerry is due in ukraine as the u.s. reconsiders sending weapons to help the military next black, gay and faithful. >> we believe if you pray for someone, they'll change a new mission as churches try to pray away the gay. wednesday on "america tonight.".. >> you're thinking your child could die, all because she had a cold and you took her to the doctor's office. >> that she'd die, get the measles and die parent versus parent - why those that don't vaccinate their kids are making other families sick.

move forward >> a nation forced to take a closer look at race. >> ...check which ethnicity... i checked multiple boxes... this is who i am... >> what does it really mean to be the minority? >> black history comes up, everyones looking to hear what you have to say, because you're the spokesperson... >> how can we learn from the past? and create a better future? an al jazeera america special report race in america all next week part of our special black history month coverage on al jazeera america

it's an act of faith. the black church and its leaders helping to guide the civil rights movement of the '60s, and '70s serving as a moral compass for activists and the nation. these are different times, the struggle for civil rights unites a rainbow coalition. some see it at odds with the black church's traditional values. the complex posed by praying away the gay by tonya mosley. >> turn around and tell those people "i'm not gay no more i am delivered." >> reporter: when 21-year-old andrew caldwell stood before the church of god and declared thanks to prayer he was no

longer gay, the pastor and the congregation applauded. as the widow went viral caldwell's actions brought to life an example of how some black churches believe it is possible through prayer to convert gay people and cure homosexuality. >> father we do thank you and praise you doubt date >> reporter: prayer is at the heart of darrell foster's ministry. he has ministered to thousands of black men and women who no longer want to be gay. >> have you seen measurable growth within yourself? >> sometimes i don't recognise who a. >> who you are, who you were? yes, yes >> reporter: he sits with james, a man who once was gay. he says thanks to foster's ministry he is strait and married with children. do you feel that people can be born gay? >> well this might be

surprising, but yes, i do. i believe people can be born gay because we are all born in sin. homosexuality is a sin. you can be born in sin. >> reporter: foster has a personnel belief he was gay himself. >> when i was 11 years old and i was playing chase, i chased a male friend. i called him and held him. and a feeling came over me that i almost didn't want to let him go. that, i think was the genesis of my recognition that i had feelings towards other males. >> describe to me the point you realised that within the church and church's teachings, that this was also looked at as a sin, and how did that make you feel? >> i felt awful. i was in a class once a youth class with my peers, and our teacher was teaching from roman

to one, the passage on homosexuality. after the teaching she said people who are like this will go to hell. >> at 18 foster left the church saying it was one of the most painful decisions of his life. after living as a gay man for 11 years he made a radical decision. >> how do you decide not to be gay any more? >> well you know it may seem a little complicated to some people. to me it began by me saying to myself and disciplining myself to say, one i'm going to change my before. i'm not going to have sex with other men, i'm not going to pursue relationships with other men, and i'm not going to go to places i used to go. >> foster is married with children. his ministry is at the end of how black churches deal with homosexuality homosexuality. many view it as a life-style

church. seven in 10 african-americans view homosexuality as a sin. some churches condemn homosexuality, activists say the presently in most churches is more subtle. >> we knew there was a black l.g.b.t. population amongst the greater community in the black church it lived under the guise of don't ask, don't tell. it was understood as long as you stayed in your lane there was nothing more to be said about it. >> the silence on the issue was broken three years ago when the state of maryland took up a law legalizing same-sex marriage. it was chronicled in the new black, a documentary about the historical new vote and the role the church played in it. >> no same sex marriage in the state of maryland. >> marylanders around the state want marge on the ballot but

they want to see it defined and upheld between one man and one woman. >> reporter: derek mccoy an associate paster hit the main stage campaigning against the far as president of the maryland family alliance. i'd like to know what are your views on homosexuality. >> from a biblical stand point of which is the center point of what we feel from a clurky standpoint. of what we go by yes, it depicted as far as the lifestyle is depicted. i don't write the rules. i conform to it it doesn't con form to me. >> the black community and church from instrumental in the black church movement. many ask how can you feel this way. it's hypocritical. for them to feel this way

towards the minority group. >> is that really the objective. there's never been a time in my live that i woke up and said "i can't wait to by bigoted to another group of people", if you look from the christian point of view. it's the tenuate of the christian faith is what the scripture says. >> if you are a christian, and you want to go to heaven you want to live a life that is god like you are saying you need to change. >> yes, because we are supposed to change in the image of cyst. >> reporter: he believes it could come about through prayer. >> we believe if we pray it could change. >> we wrestle not against sweat and blood, but powers. >> during the fight over maryland law, another maryland pastor decided the time had come

to speak out against what he saw as the church's bias. he today before the congregation and spoke and support same hecs personaling sex marriage. >> when i came out i felt it was the right thing to do to let my voice be heard on the issue. i didn't want my silence to be interpreted as consent. >> after he spoke, an interesting thing happened. other clernaly told him he was committing career suicide. he found the majority of the congregation waited for his message. >> when we profiled and changed the narrative on where the people were, and gave them an opportunity to raise their voices and showed a different picture of a black generalingly leaders, saying i support equal right for gays and lesbians

that gave them permission to feel the same way. what we have seen is on this issue, the powers and the influence is in the pews not the palpit. >> reporter: 1,000 members joined coates' church and the marriage equality bill passed in mair maryland all affirming a belief to speak out. >> there's no doubt about it. it's a detriment to the lives of people in our pews who go their lives not thinking they are loved, that think something is wrong with them that other people don't accept or embrace them but who believe that god does not accept them as well. it's transformed our congregation in some incredible ways. >> reporter: l.g.b.t. advocates say the divide in black churches is great. for many the price for speaking

up is too steep. your first hurdle in coming out issuably your family then your friend and community and a large portion of our existence of black people. many say i don't know what happened if i come out. i don't like the odds. i don't want to lose my family and my church. >> forced to choose between identity many simply choose silence. [ ♪♪ ] and that is "america tonight". tell us what you think. at "america tonight". talk to us on twitter, facebook or aljazeera.com/americatonight come back. we'll have more of "america tonight" tomorrow.

they will them it can't be done and they'll do it anyway - there's a word for people like that - crazy. >> i think it's the crazy people that will change the world and going to create the jobs of the future. people like richard branson who buck the system in search of breakthrough solutions to big challenges like space travel artificial intelligence and climate change. necessity is supposed to be the mother of invention and technology gives us things we