"Ransomware Gangs Ramp Up Industrial Attacks in US"

Ransomware gangs are wreaking havoc on the industrial sector, particularly manufacturing firms, with significant spikes in cyberattack activity against US organizations observed in the third quarter. New ransomware groups are emerging, threatening to increase the frequency of attacks even further. According to a Dragos Q3 analysis of ransomware attacks on industrial organizations, North America accounted for 36 percent of all recorded cases globally (46 incidents). This is a 10 percent increase from the previous quarter, when the region was affected by a quarter of the cases. However, the analysis discovered that the global rate of attacks remained flat quarter over quarter, with 128 incidents in Q3 compared to 125 in Q2. Most observed incidents (68 percent) were directed at the manufacturing sector. Eighty-eight confirmed attacks were against that segment, particularly those producing metal products (12 attacks). The manufacturing sector is moving to the cloud, according to Stephen Banda, senior manager of security solutions at Lookout. It is digitizing manufacturing, inventory tracking, operations, and maintenance to increase agility and efficiency, with less production downtime and greater skill. However, it also creates new attack surfaces. Manufacturers are investing in intellectual property and new technologies, such as digital twins, to stay competitive. Manufacturers are changing the way they produce and deliver goods, moving toward industrial automation and the flexible factory. This Industry 4.0 transformation puts a strain on mobile devices and cloud solutions. Nonetheless, most manufacturers' security solutions remain on-premises. In terms of other industrial segments, the food and beverage sector received 9 percent of attacks, followed by oil and natural gas (6 percent), and the energy and pharmaceuticals sectors (both receiving 10 percent of attacks). There was only one attack each in the chemical, mining, engineering, and water and wastewater systems segments. This article continues to discuss key findings from the Dragos Q3 analysis of ransomware attacks on industrial organizations.

Dark Reading reports "Ransomware Gangs Ramp Up Industrial Attacks in US"