Cyberattacks have grown significantly in the past week, impacting several nations in Latin America, and the Middle East region. This rising threat can easily be associated with a recent discovery made by Sectrio’s research team regarding the reducing development and emergence cycles of sophisticated malwares. OT, Industrial IoT or IIoT, and ICS/SCADA equipment had seen a sharp spike in the rate of emerging attacks from areas prone to geopolitically motivated events. This update raises concerns for most Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, and Financial Institutions as they are proven to be vulnerable in the past and are an active target in the sites of most threat actors considering the security gaps that can be exploited with ease.
The reactivation of several threat actors that are driven by the ongoing geopolitical conflict in Europe sent shockwaves of botnet attacks crippling critical infrastructure up to a certain extent. This was also the fate of certain satellite communication and internet provider that has been active since the onset of the conflict. Such attempts show no signs of remorse and are expected to grow significantly in the weeks ahead.
In APAC, while certain countries are encouraging having a robust cybersecurity posture, few countries have begun taking their first steps in addressing the challenges caused by the threat of rising cyberattacks, and this has compelled most countries to initiate a cybersecurity regulatory and governance body in order to safeguard their digital transformation efforts and critical infrastructure. We have also noticed that SecOps KPIs that are currently being tracked by heads and leaders are growing to be a challenge as they might not be the right KPIs that can effectively measure your cybersecurity posture. We urge all our readers to read this latest blog on our website regarding the importance of tracking the right set of SecOps KPIs
Do keep a lookout for malicious/anomalies in your incoming and outgoing traffic from countries associated with geopolitical conflicts as threat actors show no signs of backing down.
Weekly advisory
Segments under this list must be on high alert in the coming weeks:
- Oil and gas
- Financial Services
- Manufacturing
- Critical Infrastructure
- Supply chains
- Energy Sector
- Water and wastewater treatment facilities
- Utility entities
- Maritime agencies
- Healthcare
- Government Agencies