INDUSTRY WATCH
OUR RESEARCH HAS
SHOWN THAT AS MUCH
AS 14% OF ALL STOLEN
DATA ON THE DARK WEB
IS CONNECTED TO THE
MANUFACTURING SECTOR.
CCan you tell us about some
of the unique cybersecurity
challenges facing
manufacturing organisations?
Today, manufacturers are battling
hackers and disruptive actors at various
levels. The converged environment
gives rise to OT, IoT and IT threats
but such convergence of technologies
also opens up more attack vectors for
hackers to exploit vulnerabilities while
giving rise to what we call hybrid risks.
This is a euphemism for threat actors
using a range of methods including a
blend of traditional and non-traditional
approaches to initiate a cyberattack.
Also, malware potency is increasing and
hackers are using persuasive messages
in phishing emails to cause a breach
through insider activity.
Why is this industry so targeted?
The manufacturing sector represents the
lifeline of an economy. It is therefore high
on the agenda of state-backed hacker
constellations, also known as APT groups.
The supply chain element also plays a key
role as all these firms are relying on third
party contractors or subcontractors who
might not have the best security posture.
Manufacturing entities also hold plenty
of intellectual property – information of
commercial interest to various groups.
Manufacturers also want to avoid
disruption at any cost so they are ideal
targets for hackers who seek to monetise
breaches faster through ransomware.
Our research has shown that as much as
14% of all stolen data on the Dark Web
is connected to the manufacturing sector.
This indicates the volume of breaches
that have been successful so far.
Can you tell us how the threat
landscape has changed for
this industry during the
COVID-19 pandemic?
The risks have increased and the threats
have multiplied. Today, we are amid
what we call the second wave of attacks
linked to the pandemic. Because of the
confusion and anxiety that characterised
the first few months, hackers were able
to initiate a co-ordinated campaign
resulting in many successful breaches
through phishing emails and those that
exploited unsecured home networks due
to the prevalence of work from home.
Simultaneously, we also saw an increase
in targeted cyberattacks and a spike in
the number of variants of previously
detected malware. This trend is yet to
peak and attacks may continue for a few
more months.
How important is it for
manufacturers to strengthen
their cyberdefences in light of
the COVID-19 pandemic?
The response to these attempts by
various hackers and agencies should be
proportionate to the deteriorating threat
environment. A strong cybersecurity
posture is not just a matter of choice
or due diligence, but a critical business
requirement that needs to constantly
evolve and mature by constantly
assessing the threats and deploying
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