One of the infamous ransomware incidents in historical past occurred in Could 2021, when malicious hackers held the Colonial Pipeline hostage, inflicting fuel shortages and widespread panic. The high-profile incident underscored the vulnerability of U.S. vital infrastructure and operational expertise (OT) to cyberattacks.
At present, OT — which we depend on for water, transportation, meals, electrical energy and extra — faces escalating threats. In line with current analysis from Fortinet, 82% of organizations noticed intrusions have an effect on their OT techniques up to now yr, a rise from 73% in 2024 and 49% in 2023.
This week’s featured articles discover the worldwide monetary stakes of OT safety, vulnerabilities opening vital infrastructure to assault and new steerage from the federal authorities for securing OT property.
OT cyber threats put greater than $300B in danger yearly
Catastrophic cybersecurity occasions involving OT have the potential to price almost $330 billion in a single yr, based on a brand new report by safety vendor Dragos and threat providers agency Marsh McLennan, with enterprise interruption accounting for $172 billion of these losses. The researchers stated there’s a .4% probability of such a situation unfolding in 2026.
In distinction, the common annual international threat is $12.7 billion, whereas the 12-month aggregated threat is $31 billion.
In line with Dragos researchers, many corporations underestimate the danger that OT disruptions pose to enterprise continuity. In consequence, they focus their cybersecurity budgets totally on IT slightly than OT.
The report recommended lowering OT threat with the next methods:
Learn the complete story by David Jones on Cybersecurity Dive.
OT networks below lively assault as a result of vital RCE flaw
Attackers are exploiting a vital distant code execution (RCE) vulnerability within the Erlang programming language’s Open Telecom Platform, broadly utilized in OT networks and important infrastructure. The flaw allows unauthenticated customers to execute instructions via SSH connection protocol messages that needs to be processed solely after authentication.
Researchers from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 stated they’ve noticed greater than 3,300 exploitation makes an attempt since Could 1, with about 70% concentrating on OT networks throughout healthcare, agriculture, media and high-tech sectors.
Consultants urged affected organizations to patch instantly, calling it a high precedence for any safety group defending an OT community. The flaw, which has a CVSS rating of 10, may allow an attacker to realize full management over a system and disrupt linked techniques — significantly worrisome in vital infrastructure.
Learn the complete story by Elizabeth Montalbano on Darkish Studying.
Attackers use Citrix NetScaler flaws to penetrate vital infrastructure
Dutch authorities have reported profitable cyberattacks in opposition to vital infrastructure organizations utilizing vulnerabilities in Citrix NetScaler merchandise. The assaults started in Could, predating Citrix’s June disclosure of two vital flaws. The subtle attackers reportedly hid their actions by erasing proof of the intrusions.
Hundreds of weak NetScaler situations stay uncovered worldwide, together with greater than 1,300 within the U.S., based on the Shadowserver Basis. The group stated it has detected exploitation makes an attempt for each vulnerabilities.
CISA has urged organizations to right away patch the vulnerability. Safety specialists worry widespread assaults like people who exploited the Citrix Bleed vulnerability in 2023.
Learn the complete story by Eric Geller on Cybersecurity Dive.
Industrial protocol’s encryption flaws depart vital infrastructure uncovered
A safety researcher has uncovered vital vulnerabilities in Open Platform Communications Unified Structure (OPC UA), a broadly used industrial communication protocol that usually replaces VPNs in OT environments.
Regardless of its complicated cryptography, the protocol comprises design flaws that would allow attackers to bypass authentication and exploit outdated encryption requirements. Researcher Tom Tervoort, a safety specialist at Netherlands-based safety firm Secura, recognized points affecting at the very least seven totally different merchandise, ensuing within the issuing of three CVEs.
The OPC Basis has labored with distributors to implement fixes, which embrace software program updates and configuration adjustments. Organizations utilizing OPC UA are suggested to examine vendor documentation, apply patches and take into account IP allowlisting to guard vital infrastructure from potential exploitation.
Learn the complete story by Alex Culafi on Darkish Studying.
International cybersecurity alliance provides OT asset stock pointers
U.S. companies and worldwide companions from Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and New Zealand have launched new steerage on sustaining asset inventories in vital infrastructure organizations.
The doc gives greatest practices for inventorying and managing OT property, which, in flip, allows groups to extra successfully safe them. Tips embrace the next:
- Prioritize safety measures based mostly on threat ranges.
- Assessment asset upkeep plans and keep spare-parts inventories to maximise operational reliability.
- Evaluate the price of system upgrades with the price of potential outages.
- Implement secure-by-design techniques.
- Use change administration processes to maintain inventories present.
Learn the complete story by Eric Geller on Cybersecurity Dive.
Editor’s notice:Â An editor used AI instruments to help within the era of this information transient. Our skilled editors all the time evaluate and edit content material earlier than publishing.
Alissa Irei is senior website editor of Informa TechTarget Safety.
