Spear-phishing. Drive-by downloads. Watering hole attacks. Wrappers The language may be captivating and even amusing, but the reality it represents is not so alluring. While the novel coronavirus has introduced fresh concerns for manufacturers, cyber threats have never gone away. And as bad guys become more cunning, manufacturers must scramble to stay ahead of them even as they navigate new public health and economic uncertainties.
Why has the threat of cyber terrorism risen dramatically in recent years? A key reason is that the successful convergence of information technology and operations technology – so critical to reaping the rewards of Industry 4.0 – has also opened the back door to cybercriminals. A new report, Securing Critical Operational Technology in Manufacturing, by the Manufacturers Alliance (MAPI) and cybersecurity firm Fortinet found that operational technology security at large manufacturers is considered a top-five business risk, yet there remains high variability in corporate security practices and capabilities, including activities for monitoring and responding.
It’s worth a brief review of the evolution of cyber terrorism. A few years…
