CYBER ATTACK TARGET #1: ENERGY SECTOR

Production plants rely heavily on being networked with one another, machines can be controlled remotely via the Internet, and information can be exchanged within seconds. Energy suppliers benefit from the many advantages of digitalization, but as part of a country’s critical infrastructure, even the smallest security gaps can have fatal consequences. Company-wide email communication is one of the most frequently used gateways for cyber-attacks. In an analysis of around 1,000 domains with the largest email volume, the Hornetsecurity Security Lab found that the energy sector is particularly targeted by cyber-criminals. Critical infrastructure facilities are increasingly targeted with cyber threats. The extent of a cyber-attack on energy suppliers is shown by an unprecedented attack on the power grid in Ukraine in 2015: A quarter of a million inhabitants of the Ivano-Frankivsk region had no electricity because hackers infiltrated the system of the energy supplier “Prykarpat-tyaoblenergo” and were able to take over and control  the IT infrastructure remotely. What is the motive behind such attacks? How do cyber criminals get into a system and which methods are particularly “popular”? You can find out which cyber threats the energy industry has to prepare for now and in the future in Hornetsecurity’s latest Cybersecurity Special.