News Blog
Hey, I’m SCADAgirl. I'm a cybersecurity superhero that ensures that OT & IoT networks are safe. Here is my commentary on the latest headlines in OT & IoT security.
OT Security Patch Management
In the world of OT, ensuring the security and reliability of systems is critical. Disruptions to critical processes can have severe consequences, impacting production, safety, and even environmental...
USB-Borne Threats in OT Environments
The convergence of IT and OT has unlocked unprecedented efficiency and productivity gains across various industries. However, this also makes OT networks increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity...
How Accurately Is OT Cybersecurity Represented in Movies and TV?
Cybersecurity is everywhere. And as the world grows more high-tech, so do our movies.
Debunking The Top 10 Discrete Manufacturing OT Cybersecurity Myths
When you think of cybersecurity, what comes to mind?
Improve Collaboration OT and IT Security Teams
Discrete manufacturing: OT and IT security teams must collaborate OT and IT teams are used to talking about “interoperability” when it comes to devices.
The Most Common OT Security Threats & Risks and The Solutions
There is no question that cybersecurity is a top priority for operational technology (OT) managers across critical sectors like energy, manufacturing, and transportation. These systems control...
The Cybersecurity Professional’s Checklist For Critical Features In Discrete Manufacturing
Cybersecurity: A Sector That Never Sleeps
GenAI Phishing: The Rise of GenAI-Generated Malware
The rise of artificial intelligence in recent years has brought incredible technological advancements to the cybersecurity landscape,...
OT Cybersecurity: 7 Key Challenges for Discrete Manufacturing
Hackers are getting smarter.
Simplify Governance For Your OT Cybersecurity Compliance
What do you think it takes to establish effective governance and maintain compliance in an OT environment?
Critical Backdoor Vulnerability in XZ Utils Recommendations
The open-source community was rattled in late March with the discovery of a critical backdoor vulnerability in XZ Utils, a widely used open-source data compression utility available on almost all...
Why Discrete Manufacturing Needs Cybersecurity
Did you know that after a successful cybersecurity attack, manufacturers need to pay $2 million on average to restore their operational...
Securing Your OT Network: SCADAfence's Top 10 Strategies
Anyone involved in operational technology (OT) security already knows that the stakes are high.
Industrial Cybersecurity: Safeguarding Food Production Businesses
In today's interconnected world, the rapid digitization of industries has brought numerous benefits, but it has also exposed them to new risks. The food production industry, a critical link in the...
Critical Infrastructure’s Silent Threat: Part 3 - Protecting PLCs and Their Environment
Part 3: Protecting PLCs and Their Environment For many years, PLCs have been insecure by design. Several years into customizing and applying best practices from IT gave rise to secure protocols,...
Critical Infrastructure’s Silent Threat: Part 2 - Understanding PLCs
Part 2: Decoding the Complexity of PLCs In part one of this series we explained how Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) have become key targets for cyber security attacks due to their legacy...
Critical Infrastructure’s Silent Threat: Part 1 - The Invisible Enemy
Part 1: The Invisible Enemy of PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are an essential part of industrial manufacturing plants. They are widely used in...
Preparing For New York’s Electric Utility Cybersecurity Laws
What You Need To Do Now! Even if you aren’t in New York! When New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to create cybersecurity protections for the state's energy grid at the end of 2022, she...
The Rise of Iran-Sponsored Threat Actors
In mid-summer of 2022, Albania accused the Iranian government of targeting them with a series of major cyberattacks. The attacks, which targeted government servers and online portals, raised alarms...
Navigating the Intersection of IT and OT
Securing Your Plant Without Shutting It Down If one of your organization’s goals for 2023 is to implement a robust OT/ICS cyber security solution (and here’s why it absolutely should be, even if...
Navigating the Changing Landscape of OT Security in the New Year
It’s become somewhat of a ritual at the beginning of every year, (almost) every company comes up with a review of the past year, and an attempt to forecast what the next 12 months will bring. This...
Hospitals in the Crosshairs: The Alarming Rise of Ransomware Attacks in Healthcare
On a Sunday evening in late December, 2022 The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto was hit with a ransomware attack that took down several vital hospital network systems and caused widespread...
Why OT Research Is Controversial - But Necessary
I want to discuss a subject that doesn't get enough attention in the world of OT/ICS cyber security considering how fundamental it is, and also sparks a surprising amount of controversy. The topic is...
OT Asset Discovery: Improving Your Security Posture Using Device Type Learning
A SCADAfence New Feature report The first question we're usually asked by any CISO who wants to increase their OT security posture is about asset visibility and management. Gathering a comprehensive...
This Thanksgiving, Be Thankful for OT Security | SCADAfence
Thanksgiving – when families get together and express gratitude for everything they have, accompanied by good food and hopefully great football. For most families and network security teams who just...
Four Reasons for CISOs to Maintain (or Increase!) Their OT Security Budget During A Recession
Psst….Don’t look now, but the global economy might be entering a recession. Yeah, yeah, you already know that. Everyday you’re reading about tech industry layoffs, stock market dips, and general...
Did Russia Attack Europe’s Largest Copper Producer Aurubis?
Three days before Halloween, on Oct 28, 2022 Aurubis, the largest copper producer in Europe, issued a press release announcing that it had been hit by a cyber attack. The company announced that it...
Thwarting the Rise of Attack Frameworks with Post Exploitation Tools
The Cyber Kill Chain is a framework that outlines the stages of common cyberattacks and the points in the process at which attacks can be detected or intercepted. Developed by Lockheed Martin, this...
OpenSSL Vulnerability - What It Means For Your OT Network
Update - February 2023. OpenSSL has released an advisory addressing multiple vulnerabilities in OpenSSL versions 3.0.0, 2.2.2, and 1.0.2. The advisory covers vulnerabilities that were originally...
Top OT Security Solutions: Gartner's Advice For Protecting Your Network
If you are the person in your organization responsible for securing an OT network, you are probably feeling very popular these days. Your inbox is no doubt full of emails inviting you to ‘hop on a...
New Insights into GhostSec Attacks on Iran’s Infrastructure
Multiple factions of the hacker group known as “Anonymous” have banded together to carry out coordinated cyber attacks targeting Iran as retaliation for the deaths of multiple young women in Iran...
5 Best Practices for Operational Technology (OT) Security
Why Do You Need Operational Network Security? Modern operational technology (OT) networks are evolving due to developments such as the rise Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Industry 4.0, smart...
NSA and CISA Issue Joint Advisory for OT/ICS Networks
The US National Security Agency (NSA) and the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a joint advisory specifically for OT/ICS networks. The advisory offers guidance on ways...
Introducing SCADAfence's “Tailored Threat Intelligence”
A SCADAfence New Feature report “Could we be next?” One of the biggest challenges for an industrial OT/ICS security professional is figuring out if their organization is vulnerable to the latest...
SCADAfence Discovers First CVEs Detected In Alerton PLCs
Alerton, a subsidiary of Honeywell, is a major manufacturer of building management systems for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). SCADAfence’s research team discovered vulnerabilities...
LockBit Ransomware Targets OT
What do Organizations Need to Know about LockBit? The first known ransomware attacks using what would come to be known as LockBit were reported back in 2019. Organizations that were infected with the...
Presenting The SCADAfence Cloud for OT Networks
SCADAfence now offers new advanced services via our cloud. We use the cloud to deliver continuous OT security updates, software upgrades and OT health monitoring.
Understanding The South Staffordshire Water Cyber Attack
South Staffordshire PLC, parent company of South Staffs Water, a small independent utility that supplies water to 1.6 million customers, including 35,000 businesses, in central England was hit by a...
Evaluating Risk Across Your Entire OT Architecture
A SCADAfence New Feature Report Here is the standard, old school way of automated risk assessment across an OT network: First, scan each device individually. Then evaluate its specific level of risk...