Security Breach – Details, episodes & analysis

The ongoing theme in industrial cybersecurity centers on two competing dynamics – the desire to expand our implementation of automation and Industry 4.0 technologies with the goal of using more and faster connections, along with the decision-making data each generates to improve the efficiency and quality of production.

However, these goals now need to be counter-balanced against the heightened risks that all these connections spawn, and the doors they can open for hackers looking to shut down, extort or steal data from manufacturers. 

In this episode, Joe Saunders, the CEO and Founder of RunSafe Security, offers his take on securing these connections and data, as well:

• The on-going challenges associated with memory-based vulnerabilities.
• Tactics for supporting legacy OT code and minimizing the potential disruptions that can accompany software upgrades.
• Addressing vulnerabilities at a "class" level, instead of the one-at-a-time "whack-a-mole" approach.
• Embracing CISA's secure-by-demand edicts.
• The balancing act of more connections without lowering the security posture.
• Warnings about China and other state-sponsored threat actors.

As a go-to podcast for our listeners, we want to help you align your brand with our expertise. By sponsoring our podcast, your brand will build trust, and your message will stand out to an audience searching for tools to assist their cybersecurity efforts.
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Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.

We’re back to discuss an all-too-familiar topic – ransomware.

Ironically enough, it seems the topics we describe in this manner become so familiar because we can’t figure out viable, long-term solutions. I think part of the challenge for industrial organizations dealing with ransomware is that we have to divide our energy and resources between prevention, detection and response. Any one of those is a challenge, but managing all three is daunting, and hackers know this. But so do the good guys - one of which is our guest for today’s episode. 

Listen as Jeff Krull, principal and leader of Baker Tilly’s cybersecurity practice discusses their Guide to Ransomware Prevention, as well as his thoughts on:

• The C-suite's growing appreciation of how cyberattacks are impacting profitability, which means cybersecurity has become more than just an IT issue.
• How more resources have made RaaS groups increasingly difficult to detect and stop.
• Paying vs. not paying the ransom.
• Why more cyber regulation is on the way.
• Manufacturing's lack of redundant assets is making it a more attractive target, but also fueling action around response and recovery plans.
• Why not everyone needs access to everything.

As a go-to podcast for our listeners, we want to help you align your brand with our expertise. By sponsoring our podcast, your brand will build trust, and your message will stand out to an audience searching for tools to assist their cybersecurity efforts.
Click Here to Become a Sponsor.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.

When looking at industrial cybersecurity, more attention is being paid to how workers are logging in to access critical machinery, software or data. And according to Trustwave Threat Intelligence’s recent Manufacturing Threat Landscape report, 45 percent of attacks experienced by manufacturers stemmed from the bad guys accessing credentials.

Whether by utilizing brute-force tactics, submitting fake support tickets, or purchasing logins on the Dark Web, this seems to prove that hackers would much rather log in than break in. 

The report also cited the rise of Initial Access Brokers, or groups that focus specifically on obtaining and selling log-in data to other hackers. One example cited by Trustwave saw an IAB offering access to a leading steel manufacturer for just over $60,000. Unfortunately, this is not a unique circumstance, which is why we're talking to David Cottingham, president of rf IDEAS to weigh in on the ongoing challenges surrounding secure access throughout the OT environment.

Listen as we discuss:

• The importance of simplifying security processes to keep people engaged with them.
• Why no manufacturer is too small to be a target for credential-based attacks.
• Overcoming the bad behaviors that can result from operations personnel dealing with over 25 passwords.
• Avoiding punitive actions surrounding people-based security vulnerabilities.
• Why dual factor authentication strategies are key to ongoing security developments. 
• Best practices for mobile device use.
• How VPNs, firewalls and password wallets are simultaneously solutions and vulnerabilities.

As a go-to podcast for our listeners, we want to help you align your brand with our expertise. By sponsoring our podcast, your brand will build trust, and your message will stand out to an audience searching for tools to assist their cybersecurity efforts.
Click Here to Become a Sponsor.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.

You’ve probably heard a number of reports citing ransomware as the leading attack strategy within the industrial sector. In some instances, it’s been reported that ransomware groups are focusing as much as 70 percent of their activity on manufacturing enterprises. 

In one report from ICS security specialist Dragos, it was reported that 65 percent of all attacks thrown at the industrial sector were of the ransomware variety. And according to this episode's guest, cybersecurity attacks like these are never a one-and-done occurrence, meaning on-going vigilance against ransomware criminals and the like require on-going security diligence. 

Greg Scasny is the CTO of Blueshift Cybersecurity, a provider of security solutions focused on helping small and medium-sized enterprises develop and maintain a security posture that simultaneously defends against attacks while working to preserve ongoing operations.

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.

The industrial sector knows all too well about the need to innovate product offerings and production strategies in order to stay ahead of the competition. Unfortunately, the same can be said for cyber criminals looking to either steal information or hold your data, manufacturing capabilities, or intellectual property for ransom. 

Just as you continue to develop new strategies to respond to hacks and protect you digital presence, these bad actors are continuing to update and enhance their schemes in order to improve the success rate of their attacks. 

In an effort to help counter these bad actors and stay a step ahead, NETSCOUT Systems recently unveiled their bi-annual Threat Intelligence Report. It offers insight on the continued threats presented by Distributed Denial of Service and ransomware attacks. 

To help walk us through the report and offer additional insight on some of the new tactics being utilized to carry out these legacy cybersecurity attacks is NETSCOUT’s Threat Intelligence Lead, Richard Hummel.

For more information on the work NETSCOUT does, you can go to netscout.com. And to get a look at their recent report, you can go to https://www.netscout.com/threatreport

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.

The industrial sector knows all too well about the need to innovate product offerings and production strategies in order to stay ahead of the competition. Unfortunately, the same can be said for cyber criminals looking to either steal information or hold your data, manufacturing capabilities, or intellectual property for ransom. 

Just as you continue to develop new strategies to respond to hacks and protect you digital presence, these bad actors are continuing to update and enhance their schemes in order to improve the success rate of their attacks. 

In an effort to help counter these bad actors and stay a step ahead, NETSCOUT Systems recently unveiled their bi-annual Threat Intelligence Report. It offers insight on the continued threats presented by Distributed Denial of Service and ransomware attacks. 

To help walk us through the report and offer additional insight on some of the new tactics being utilized to carry out these legacy cybersecurity attacks is NETSCOUT’s Threat Intelligence Lead, Richard Hummel.

For more information on the work NETSCOUT does, you can go to netscout.com. And to get a look at their recent report, you can go to https://www.netscout.com/threatreport

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.

While rogue individuals with an agenda and advanced cybersecurity skills are still prevalent, most headline-grabbing hacks are now originating from well-organized, highly talented groups or organizations. Not only does this dynamic provide access to a greater pool of talent, but it makes stopping a multi-faceted attack more difficult.

One of the most notorious of these cyber terrorist groups is BlackByte. The Ransomware-as-a-service group recently made headlines by hacking the National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers right before the league’s biggest weekend – the most recent Super Bowl.

The group was able to exploit a vulnerability in the team’s Microsoft Exchange server and implement a tool called Cobalt Strike. Users were then sent hourly ransom notes via a print bomb to all printers connected to the infected machine. 

While the 49ers have downplayed the impact of the hack, it did result in the release of financial documents that BlackByte posted to a site on the dark web. No ransom demands were made public, but the amount of data actually stolen remains unknown.

The growing reach, ability and boldness of these groups should give everyone in the industrial sector pause – regardless of your role or job title. If they can access data from a billion-dollar franchise, your IP and financial data is, at least, just as vulnerable.

The good news is that we have people like Lauren Podber, Principal Intelligence Analyst at Red Canary, to help guide us in getting ahead of groups like BlackByte. Lauren and her cohorts at Red Canary specialize in managing cybersecurity endpoint detection, planning and response. She recently sat down to discuss BlackByte, the importance of having a response plan at the ready, and what hacks to look out for over the next 12-18 months.

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.

Regardless of the report, survey or research, all data related to industrial cybersecurity makes one thing very clear – the last two years have presented a dangerous uptick in the number of cybersecurity attacks, and the severity of them.

So, if knowing is half the battle, the other half is identifying tools to help accomplish the mission. With this in mind, we welcome David Nosibor, Platform Solutions Leads at UL – the well-known leader in global safety certification.

Presented with the frightening increase in the number of cyberattacks, the organization recently launched the SafeCyber platform to help organizations improve the cybersecurity of connected products throughout the entire lifecycle. This includes identifying current and future vulnerabilities and providing guidance to some of the obstacles currently preventing these issues from being addressed.

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.

Whether it's the infamous Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack last summer, or an ongoing number of water treatment facility hacks, there’s no doubt that infrastructure facilities have become a favorite target of cyber criminals.

In fact, according to a recent report from Skybox Security, the first half of 2021 saw a 46% year-over-year increase in new OT vulnerabilities within organizations charged with running and maintaining key portions of the U.S.'s infrastructure.   

In this episode of Security Breach, Alastair Williams, vice president of worldwide systems engineering at Skybox Security,  joins us to help break down some of the social and market factors driving these troubling cybersecurity dynamics. We also discuss ransomware attacks, Log4J challenges, and what he sees as the biggest cybersecurity trends to consider for 2022.

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.

If there’s one thing that has become very apparent in dealing with cybersecurity issues throughout the industrial sector, it’s that responding to these challenges means taking a look at things from a different perspective.

I recently sat down with Johnny Young, a 35-year veteran of industrial IT and cybersecurity. He’s embraced his role as JohnE Upgrade and launched CyberD.TV - a streaming subscription service devoted to providing comprehensive cybersecurity training.

What follows is the second of two episodes featuring JohnE. Here he talks about some of steps companies can take in guarding against any number of cyberattacks.

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.