Ransomware, which once was a rare tactic used by APT groups is now a habitual go-to malware that anyone can purchase off the dark web for less than $50 or outsourced to groups that provide Ransomware as a Service or (RaaS)! This trend of new ransomware attacks is predicted to continue in enterprises, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure segments as they possess critical information and operations that cannot be halted for long periods or leaked to the public.
One prominent motive as to why the ransomware has grown rapidly in sophistication and volume is the ease with which one can create a variant, deploy it to encrypt certain operations, withhold critical data for ransom demands, or worse, dump it on the dark web. Such go-to tactics worked in the past and persist to this date. Most vulnerable segments in the industry are ones that aren’t aware/lack visibility into their networks and in places where the convergence of technologies such as OT, IoT, and IT are not a part of the SecOps area of visibility.
Also Read: Why is IoT Security important in today’s network?
Entities in North America, the Middle East, and the APAC continue to face the repercussions of the geopolitical conflict in the Ukraine and Russia. This trend of rising cyberattacks emerging from geopolitically motivated, conflict-prone areas will continue to persist, as threat actors are brazenly targeting organizations and individuals irrespective of size or revenue. While keeping this in mind, it is also vital that SecOps teams are not overwhelmed with alerts and prioritizing them. The automation of SecOps processes can be achieved with the right tools and can go a long way in communicating the right alerts that required intervention by the member of the SecOps team.
We suggest all organizations prioritize IoT and OT Security at the core of their operations to avoid disruptions.
Reach out to sectrio’s team of cybersecurity experts on how they can help you secure your connected assets: Contact Us
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