Among the top 10 industries, the manufacturing sector tops the list when it comes to cyberattacks. This sector is the target in more than 25 per cent of all incidents. Around 45 per cent of the attacks are carried out using malware.
In recent years, the manufacturing sector has increasingly become a target for cybercriminals. The number of cyberattacks has risen significantly. There are various reasons for this. For instance, there is an interdependence within the supply chain. The industry is heavily reliant on various elements, from raw materials to transport. Furthermore, the industry is vulnerable, as downtime has an immediate negative impact on business operations. There is also often valuable intellectual property stored in the databases. If competitors were to get their hands on this, it could save them millions. These are some of the conclusions drawn from the report “Manufacturing: Maintaining Stability As Cyber Threats Explode in Volume and Sophistication”, published by KnowBe4, a provider of cybersecurity training. The report explains the current state of cybersecurity in the manufacturing sector, the tactics used by cybercriminals, and what organisations can do to protect themselves against these threats.
Cyber attacks on the rise
Phishing was cited as the most important cyber attack, followed by exploitation of publicly accessible applications. Asia emerged as the top target for cyber attacks in 2023, accounting for more than half (54%) of all reported incidents. Europe followed as the second most targeted region with 26% of cyber attacks. North America and Latin America accounted for 12% and 5% respectively.
Ransomware
The researchers observed an alarming 56% increase in ransomware attacks involving extortion in the industry. According to the report, this indicates a growing trend in cybercriminal tactics.
The manufacturing industry saw a 266% rise in malware that steals information and is injected into systems. The malware is designed to misappropriate login and other credentials for email, social media and messaging accounts, bank details, etc. The manufacturing sector faced a dramatic 88% increase in average ransom payments, to almost $2.4 million in the past year.
Phishing
According to the report, small manufacturing companies performed well against the baseline of 34%. Without security training, the Phish-proneTM Percentage (the percentage of employees clicking on a link or attachment of a simulated phishing email) of these organisations with less than 250 employees was 27.9%, well below the average. For companies with more than 1,000 employees, the opposite was true. Without security training, 37.5% of employees tested clicked on a bad link in a phishing email. This means that cybercriminals can successfully phish almost 4 in 10 manufacturing workers.
Vulnerability increases
"The increasing reliance of manufacturing companies on IT and OT systems, combined with the increasing globalisation of supply chains, has increased the sector's vulnerability and increased its appeal to threat actors." Says Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4. "Raising awareness and providing robust training to recognise and prevent phishing and social engineering attempts is critical. These efforts are not only essential for individual organisations. They are also necessary for maintaining stability in the global manufacturing industry."
Warning
The report includes examples of recent attacks in North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania and serves as a warning for the industry. As cyber threats continue to evolve, so must our defences.
Opening photo: Pixabay / TheDigitalArtist
See also: Cyber threats to the industrial sector reach record levels in the second quarter of 2023
