According to the National Cyber Security Centre’s 2022 report, there were 2.7m cyber-related frauds in the 12 months to March 2022 and threats to the global supply chain continued to be apparent where attackers access target victim organisation’s networks or systems via third-party vendors or suppliers.
As hackers become more sophisticated and threats increase, ensuring you have reliable Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) cybersecurity becomes more and more important.
Which industries are targeted by cyber-security hacks?
All industries and workplaces can be a potential target, but critical industries such as energy and manufacturing accounted for 43% of UK cyber attacks in 2021 (source: IBM). These industries are key to keeping the UK running, and attacks to UK manufacturing further weaken already vulnerable supply chains.
What are the risks of being hacked?
Sensitive information can be stolen
This could include staff data, patented machine and applications, and production details that competitors could use and be a GDPR risk. A data breach could mean further consequences if it’s found the organisation failed to do enough to prevent a hack.
Financial theft
Individuals and organisations can be victims of a cyber-attack and end in financial losses from the unauthorised transfer of funds, theft of financial information and payment fraud.
Downtime
Is there any part of your business that doesn’t depend on the successful running of your IT systems? A successful cyber-attack will result in downtime and productivity loss. Any damage to critical systems and infrastructure could take days and weeks to resolve, causing significant disruption.
Safety
Malicious hackers could alter machinery information which could adversely affect the safety of staff.
Reputation damage
Customers and staff may lose trust in an organisation that was breached by a cyberattack, especially if they experience harmful consequences.
How Rockwell Automation can help your organisation stay safe from cyber attacks
Companies that want to protect critical information, productivity and safety in connected operations require products that are developed with security in mind. Rockwell Automation makes security a priority in its product development with its security development lifecycle (SDL) approach, which is now certified to meet the IEC 62443-4-1 security standard.
The certification confirms that Rockwell Automation product-development processes adhere to the security requirements in the IEC 62443-4-1 standard. Rockwell Automation is now using the certified SDL at all global development locations to support the development of all hardware and software products.
In an ISMG survey conducted on behalf of Rockwell Automation to IT and security leaders in critical infrastructure industries, they found 60% of organisations lack real-time threat detection and fewer than 30% have a cybersecurity plan in place.
Read the full Rockwell Automation cyber security report here and use their tool to evaluate your organisation’s cybersecurity preparedness.
Get in touch with a cyber security expert
If you have any concerns or wish to speak to an expert to assess your cyber security needs please contact us here and one of our experts will get in touch.