Cybersecurity experts are warning about growing threats to Internet of Things (IoT) devices in industrial enterprises. Here's a closer look at what happened.
Analysts have found that in the past year, every second cyberattack was carried out using malicious software (malware). Market participants note that with the increase in digitalization in industry, the risk of cyberattacks increases. However, critically important enterprises try to avoid using simple IoT solutions, according to experts.
According to a study by Positive Technologies in the field of industrial cybersecurity risks in 2024, in the first three quarters of this year, ransomware was used in 52% of attacks using malware. The most common result of attacks was the leakage of confidential information, which occurred in 65% of successful cases. Trade secrets turned out to be the most valuable for cybercriminals, accounting for 37% of stolen information, while disruption of the core business of companies was observed in every third successful attack.
Positive Technologies experts emphasize that the Internet of Things network is becoming an increasingly common entry point for attackers at industrial facilities.
With the growth of industrial digitalization and the introduction of more IoT devices, the landscape of cyber threats is also expanding
According to forecasts by the analytical agency Onside, by 2027 the number of connected IoT devices could reach 135 million. Last year, the IoT market in Russia increased by 15%, amounting to almost 157.7 billion rubles.
In the first half of 2024, the share of attacked industrial systems amounted to 31.7%, which indicates an increase compared to the previous year, according to Kaspersky Lab.
Attackers have become more targeted, conducting sophisticated attacks that can cause serious damage to a specific company,
The growth in the number of cyberattacks on the industrial sector and IoT devices last year was about 40%, and, according to Dmitry Ovchinnikov, head of the Laboratory for Strategic Development of Cybersecurity Products at ACCB "Gazinformservice", a further increase in attacks is expected in the spring of 2025.
The founder and CEO of the engineering company Uralenergotel, Alexey Belsky, recalls that the Internet of Things includes inexpensive devices with direct access to the network. However, large enterprises and critical infrastructure facilities do not use such devices, he claims.
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