Agencies of the US Government have issued a joint warning that hackers have revealed their capability to gain full system access to industrial control systems that might help enemy states sabotage critical infrastructure.
In recent years, cyber espionage has been growing in magnitude and complexity. One of the most common targets is Industrial Control Systems (ICS) within critical infrastructure sectors. With many organizations relying more heavily on ICS networks, there has been an increase in threats and cyberattacks aimed at these systems. Not only do these attacks have an economic impact, but they also put national security at risk.
US Officials warn of potential ransomware attacks in response to increased sanctions on Russia and have asked state and local officials to consider how ransomware attacks could disrupt the provision of critical services. “Right now, the biggest concern we have are preparations for potential impacts to US utilities and industrial critical infrastructure, (Dragos)”
Cloud adoption has come a long way from its early days where corporate executives questioned the stewardship of their data. The initial suspicions of “where’s my data” have been laid to rest, as administrative tools and contractual obligations have emerged to give better visibility to, and accountability of, data custodianship. Even the capabilities of technology professionals have been enhanced to include full certification paths towards demonstrating cloud proficiency.
Russian hackers are attempting to broadly penetrate Ukrainian infrastructure to disrupt critical services such as electricity, transportation, finance, and telecommunications. US Government urges US Critical Infrastructure owners to harden their systems and implement a “shields up” strategy. As tensions escalate, Russian cyberattacks could seek to disrupt US electricity, gas, and other systems, warn the FBI and Department of Homeland Security.
Last week saw the European ports were hit by a cyberattack, authorities disclosed that this was a targeted attack against Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. These threat actors have hit multiple oil facilities in Belgium's ports, including Antwerp, which is the second biggest port in Europe after Rotterdam. Among the impacted port infrastructure, there is the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp oil trading hub, along with the SEA-Tank Terminal in Antwerp.
Industrial companies worldwide are adopting capabilities that allow for remote operations. The pandemic has led companies to consider how they can reduce an onsite workforce while continuing with normal operations. Likewise, the worker shortage is leading companies to think in terms of a flexible workforce that may include remote staffing and flexible resourcing.
As industrial organizations continue to embrace change by leveraging the latest technologies into their daily operations and production cycles, they have also been tasked with embracing remote and hybrid work environments – all while maintaining operational continuity. Utilizing advanced technologies has enabled these organizations to reduce expenses, expedite production time, and elevate customer service levels.
Industrial control systems (ICS) are specific kinds of assets and associated instrumentation that help to oversee industrial processes. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, there are three common types of ICS.
