New Technology, New Risks
Cyber Concerns for Industrial Control Systems
While ever-increasing connectivity means more convenience and efficiency for consumers and businesses, it also creates more cyber risk—for additional industries and sectors that had not thought much about cyber threats.
For users of industrial control systems (ICS), the new reality of cyber risks manifested in 2010 when the Stuxnet worm was discovered in Iran's Natanz nuclear facility. Since then, experts have uncovered a rising number of vulnerabilities in Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, businesses have scrambled to understand the threats, and the insurance industry has given much thought to how to cover the new and emerging risks.
And while widespread loss from an ICS cyberattack has yet to occur, documented attacks clearly demonstrate the magnitude of the threat should critical infrastructure facilities be targeted.
For ICS operators, managing these emerging risks comes down to:
- Recognizing vulnerabilities exist, understanding the threats, and taking appropriate steps to harden ICS against cyberattacks.
- Identifying key players within an organization associated with ICS and ensuring they are educated about cyber risks and following best practices, such as setting controls on access to key systems.
- Monitoring ICS to detect malicious software and attack attempts.
Arm your business against industrial control threats.