According to TrendMicro, industrial control systems (ICS) is a collective term used to describe different types of control systems and associated instrumentation. This includes the devices, systems, networks, and controls used to operate and/or automate industrial processes. Depending on the industry and sector, each ICS functions differently. The main goal of ICS is to manage tasks and operations electronically. Nowadays, the devices and tools used by ICS are found in almost all industrial sectors. Critical infrastructure such as manufacturing, transportation, energy, and water treatment also rely on ICS. In other words, industrial controls systems support many individual businesses as well as national critical infrastructure throughout the world. Conventional power stations, nuclear power plants, and water distribution systems are just a few of the entities that rely on ICS. Due to this dependency on ICS, these systems continue to garner the interest of bad actors who aim to disrupt the availability and integrity of industrial processes and the services they provide to society.
So, what factors impact industrial cybersecurity? What strategies and measures are being employed, and what can be expected in the future regarding cybersecurity in the industrial sector?
Below are some sobering statistics with regards to cyber attacks on ICS’s. These stats were primarily pulled from the ICS Risk & Vulnerability Report by Claroty and The State of Industrial Cybersecurity by Kaspersky, which surveyed 282 industrial companies across the globe.
As for other systems, the main threats for industrial controls are often linked to unprotected remote access connections, phishing attacks, and internal threats. Furthermore, fully air-gapped ICS networks, completely isolated from cyber threats have become very uncommon, which is why internet-facing ICS devices and remote connections must be managed and secured.
ICSs have become ubiquitous, and are literally relied on in life-or-death situations. Cybersecurity in the industrial controls sector cannot be neglected and, security wise, it should be a top priority of these businesses and the governments which rely on their services. We can expect the number of cyber attacks and vulnerabilities to keep increasing as cybercriminals find innovative ways to attack. Good cyber hygiene is a must and managing the performance of your cyber program is a necessity.
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