Security Breach

What else can we say as it relates to the industrial sector and the cybersecurity threats that continue to present themselves, other than – the battle wages on. The value of the sector’s IP, the plethora of personal information and the vital need to maintain uptime makes manufacturing a favorite target of hackers. And as those in the financial and healthcare markets know all too well, recognition of the threat only seems to spur the creation of new and better weapons focused on wreaking...

There were a lot of trends emanating from the mid-1980s that thankfully died out over time, but one of them has not only persisted, but thrived. Although there were numerous samples of malware impacting early computer networks, the one that captured both headlines and the admiration of cyber criminals was the PC-Write Trojan virus. Iterations would follow, with perhaps the best known example of industrial malware – Stuxnet – being introduced about 25 years later. It would be topped by...

The rise in ransomware attacks throughout the industrial sector has led to a surge in another, related activity – the purchasing of cyber insurance to help soften the blow of these attacks. But today’s guest emphasizes that beyond just insurance to cover the costs of these intrusions, the manufacturing sector needs to implement more proactive strategies that encompass prevention and recovery. I’m pleased to welcome Allen Jenkins, VP of Cybersecurity Consulting at InterVision to this...

JBS Foods is a $30B meat processor that most people didn’t know about until they paid ransomware attackers REvil $11M last June in order to get plants in the U.S. and Brazil up and running, and prevent what is believed to be up to 5 TB of data from being leaked. According to SecurityScorecard.com, the hackers obtained leaked credentials from employees in Australia and began probing the company’s network and extracting data three months prior to issuing their demands. SecurityScorecard...

You’ve probably heard a number of reports citing ransomware as the leading attack strategy within the industrial sector. In some instances, it’s been reported that ransomware groups are focusing as much as 70 percent of their activity on manufacturing enterprises. In one report from ICS security specialist Dragos, it was reported that 65 percent of all attacks thrown at the industrial sector were of the ransomware variety. And according to this episode's guest, cybersecurity attacks like...

The surge in cyberattacks experienced by the industrial sector has been credited to a number of issues ranging from outdated security software to lagging protocols surrounding data access and storage. But, according to today’s guest, one of the main reasons we’ve seen an uptick in these attacks could simply be because they’re more profitable. Joel Burleson Davis is the CTO of SecureLink – a leading provider of secure access management solutions. He notes that in addition to manufacturing...

The industrial sector knows all too well about the need to innovate product offerings and production strategies in order to stay ahead of the competition. Unfortunately, the same can be said for cyber criminals looking to either steal information or hold your data, manufacturing capabilities, or intellectual property for ransom. Just as you continue to develop new strategies to respond to hacks and protect you digital presence, these bad actors are continuing to update and enhance their...

The industrial sector knows all too well about the need to innovate product offerings and production strategies in order to stay ahead of the competition. Unfortunately, the same can be said for cyber criminals looking to either steal information or hold your data, manufacturing capabilities, or intellectual property for ransom. Just as you continue to develop new strategies to respond to hacks and protect you digital presence, these bad actors are continuing to update and enhance their...

In this episode we welcome Theo Zafirakos, the Chief Information Security Officer at Terranova Security, to discuss is company's recently report indicating that the success of phishing schemes continues to escalate. Their findings include data showing that: The growing number of remote workers, combined with the amount of personal and enterprise-level data that can be obtained makes the industrial sector an increasingly appealing target. Going forward, the security firm feels that the...

If there’s one thing that has become very apparent in dealing with cybersecurity issues throughout the industrial sector, it’s that responding to these challenges means taking a look at things from a different perspective. Well, that’s what we have with this episode. I recently sat down with Johnny Young, a 35-year veteran of industrial IT and cybersecurity. He’s embraced his role as JohnE Upgrade and launched CyberD.TV - a streaming subscription service devoted to providing comprehensive...

If there’s one thing that has become very apparent in dealing with cybersecurity issues throughout the industrial sector, it’s that responding to these challenges means taking a look at things from a different perspective. I recently sat down with Johnny Young, a 35-year veteran of industrial IT and cybersecurity. He’s embraced his role as JohnE Upgrade and launched CyberD.TV - a streaming subscription service devoted to providing comprehensive cybersecurity training. What follows is the...

Whether it's the infamous Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack last summer, or an ongoing number of water treatment facility hacks, there’s no doubt that infrastructure facilities have become a favorite target of cyber criminals. In fact, according to a recent report from Skybox Security, the first half of 2021 saw a 46% year-over-year increase in new OT vulnerabilities within organizations charged with running and maintaining key portions of the U.S.'s infrastructure. In this episode of...

Regardless of the report, survey or research, all data related to industrial cybersecurity makes one thing very clear – the last two years have presented a dangerous uptick in the number of cybersecurity attacks, and the severity of them. So, if knowing is half the battle, the other half is identifying tools to help accomplish the mission. With this in mind, we welcome David Nosibor, Platform Solutions Leads at UL – the well-known leader in global safety certification. Presented with the...

While rogue individuals with an agenda and advanced cybersecurity skills are still prevalent, most headline-grabbing hacks are now originating from well-organized, highly talented groups or organizations. Not only does this dynamic provide access to a greater pool of talent, but it makes stopping a multi-faceted attack more difficult. One of the most notorious of these cyber terrorist groups is BlackByte. The Ransomware-as-a-service group recently made headlines by hacking the National...

In addition to supply chain challenges and labor shortages, one of the biggest issues emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic for the industrial sector has been the huge uptick in cyberattacks. To make things worse, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, after studying cyberattack trends since 2006, says there is a clear pattern wherein these attacks will increase during the month of October, with five offending countries or entities responsible for the majority of the...

In this episode of Security Breach, we're joined by Brian Vecci, the Field CTO of Varonis, - a leading provider of cyber threat detection and response compliance software. Varonis recently published their 2021 Manufacturing Data Risk Report, which offered analysis on threats, trends and potential solutions for a number of market sectors – including manufacturing. Included in their findings was that manufacturing was the fifth most targeted industry last year, with the average data breach...

In this episode of Security Breach, we're joined by Thierry Aubry, a Sales Executive at Open Systems. Open Systems recently offered a look inside a phishing scheme and potential malware attack experienced by one of their customers. While this global manufacturer of home and commercial appliances will remain anonymous, Thierry will walk us through how the attack was instigated, how Open Systems was able to respond, and what steps you can take to avoid and respond to potential attacks against...