It seems that the most popular topics in cybersecurity for the last year has been zero trust as well as the convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT). These developments are good, as they signal some positive motion towards better overall security. Some of the current risks are worth noting, with a forward glance to protecting specific industries such as oil and gas production plants.
2021 was a challenging year for manufacturers, energy producers, and utilities. A chaotic pandemic year created an opportunity for threat actors to take advantage of disruption to infrastructure integrity and IT to OT operational dependencies, something they achieved with frightening rapidity and effectiveness.
The growing value of business data, the vulnerability of networked systems, and the importance of fuel infrastructure have made oil and gas companies major targets for malicious hackers. Already, the industry has been the victim of several high-profile attacks. The Colonial Pipeline hack compromised the business’s networks, shut down its operations, and deprived the East Coast of a pipeline that supplies nearly half the region’s fuel.
The U.S. government aims to tackle cybercrime, in particular attacks targeting critical infrastructure. For this purpose, the U.S. State Department has announced a reward of up to $10 million to anyone who offers valid information about any potential cyberattacks on critical infrastructure supported by foreign states.
No discussion on ICS attacks could be complete without talking about what some would call, ‘the elephant in the room.’ Critical infrastructure has always been a target for warfare, and modern ICS are no exception. Several high-profile ICS disruptions have in fact been attributed to malicious hackers working at the behest of a military or intelligence agency.
OT networks often rely on Windows systems for various ICS applications including HMIs, historians, and data gateways. Beyond that, they also commonly rely on Windows systems to run associated IT-networks.
Cyberattacks On Utilities. Here are the top two things Water Utilities need to do right now to secure our drinking water supply from cyberattacks.
