In the year 2022 and as is reflected in the article “Industrial Security 2022 in numbers”, cyberattacks in all industrial sectors have increased by around 30 % in the third quarter of 2022 and it is estimated that the number of organizations or industrial manufacturers victims of a cyberattack was around 40% in the last year. Especially in the industrial sector, the number of attacks has grown exponentially due to the massive introduction of IoT devices (it is expected to go from 13.5 to 21.5 million connected devices in three years) or more specifically about IIoT devices, which have been the main gateway for attacks as manufacturers have prioritized features and mass-production of devices over the security. In addition, this is compounded by planned obsolescence planned (increasingly present in this type of devices), increased interoperability and connectivity and the appearance of new types of malware and exploits which are much more effective.
The increase in industrial control systems and the shortcomings of those systems in cybersecurity measures have made such systems a preferred target of attacks. The number of tools designed to pose a threat to the OT sector has increased, and the use of the Incontroller tool is especially concerning.
In recent years, the concept of machine learning has gained more prominence, mainly driven by advances in parallel computing capacity. More and more developments, applications and programs are using these algorithms to provide systems with greater security, intelligence and independence. However, it’s rarely used in industrial environments, although some recent tests and developments prove its effectiveness, including in the scope of detection and prediction of cyber attacks.
The security of control systems can be threatened from different aspects, with the end device being the most important attack vector. With this in mind, the IEC, within the 62443 standard, wanted to emphasise devices by preparing a document exclusively concerning their security: IEC62443-4-2. This document contains different technical requirements to improve the security of the types of assets that can be found in a control system.
The continuity of the production process in businesses that require industrial automation depends more and more on the proper functioning, safety and reliability of the system of that composes it. Therefore, conducting tests of acceptance of its operation prior to its commissioning, is vital to ensure that the systems acquired meet the requirements set out in the contract between the company and the manufacturer.
This post will analyse the vulnerabilities associated with Log4Shell, detected in the library Log4j, which is found in infinite software products both in technical and industrial fields. Although there have been other instances of more sophisticated vulnerabilities, the problem with this one is area of exposure.
It is necessary to protect the main business processes through a set of tasks that allow the organisation to recover from a major incident in a timeframe that does not compromise the continuity of its services. This ensures a planned response to any security breach.
In recent years we have witnessed the evolution of the electrical grid and the development of new technologies produce what we know today as the smart grid. This evolution continues to this day and the trend seems to point to greater interconnection between end consumers and the grid, which increases possible attack vectors. Over the course of this article, we shall see the security measures that will be used in the electrical grid of the future.
This post presents some lines of action to be followed in the case of having fallen victim to Ekans ransomware. It describes in detail the prevention, identification and response phases to be carried out.
In this new blog entry, we will analyze the features and describe the operation of a new ransomware called Ekans, initially known as Snake, which has a very specific design, aimed at infecting and blocking Industrial Control Systems (ICS).