New research by Kaspersky Labs highlights the rise of cyberattacks on industrial control systems (ICSs). Last year, 47.2% of ICS devices were at the receiving end of one or more cyberattacks, while this number was 44% in 2017.
In the second half of 2018, the malicious activity affecting ICS devices included Trojans (27.1%), DangerousObject detections (10.9%), downloaders (4.8%), worms (4.8%) and other threats. Most of this activity was the result of random, automated attacks rather than targeted campaigns. Kaspersky detected most malicious activity in Vietnam, Algeria and Tunisia and least in Ireland, Switzerland, Denmark, Hong Kong, the UK and the Netherlands.
Cyberattacks on ICSs are seen as a major threat to national security. Earlier this month, Christopher Krebs, the head of the newly formed Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), mentioned ICS security as one of the top priorities for the agency in its mission to protect critical infrastructure.
Read more: Nearly Half of ICS Devices Protected by Kaspersky Targeted in 2018