Endemic risks to OT
This year’s survey respondents confirm media reports that OT attacks are on the rise.3 According to the most recent Global Threat Landscape Report from Fortinet, attacks targeting industrial control systems (ICS) and OT were already trending up in the second half of last year, with half of organizations reporting exploits (energy and utilities were top targets).4
Organizations cannot afford to forget that OT systems present extremely attractive targets for attackers. Effective protection requires constant vigilance and resource allocation. A rise in intrusions and worsened impacts of attacks offer a clear sign to maturing organizations that their OT systems are not completely visible within the organization’s central cybersecurity operations
For certain industry sectors, such as manufacturing, organizations have been more willing to pay requested ransoms, and the amount requested has also been typically higher. In 25% of breaches among manufacturing companies, the demanded ransom was $1 million or higher.5 Greater willingness to pay is understandable, given that the cost of downtime for manufacturers is typically very high.
Detection methods aren’t measuring up
The Global Threat Landscape Report also showed that fewer organizations are successfully detecting ransomware than in the past (13% versus 22%), reaffirming that ransomware is becoming more sophisticated and targeted.6 Our 2024 survey findings align with this research, as 56% of respondents experienced ransomware/wiper intrusions, which was a sharp increase from only 32% in 2023.
While respondents state that cybersecurity metrics are increasingly being monitored and reported, these measurements have not helped with intrusion detection and remediation. Organizations also seem to be performing fewer penetration and intrusion tests this year, perhaps as a cost-saving measure.
Protecting OT systems remains the goal
Last year’s report expressed hope that one of the headlines in 2024 would be about the significant progress being made toward protecting OT systems. The sharp rise in reported intrusions means that we will have to put that hope aside for another year.
The following critical insights, deep dive trend analysis, and best practice recommendations can serve as a guide for making meaningful improvements to OT protections over the coming months.