Cybersecurity Risks in the Smart Factory: Sources and Solutions

Sources of Cyber Threats

A typical industrial environment is an attractive target for cyber criminals. The mix of ageing operational equipment with complex, often-untested IT systems can create unforeseen vulnerabilities. By disrupting these environments and stealing important data, the criminal is well positioned to demand ransom or otherwise profit from the impact of their actions. Once successful, the bargaining process is weighed heavily in their favor meaning businesses need to either call their bluff or pay the price for resolution.

There are several areas where these attacks commonly emerge in manufacturing environments.

• IoT vulnerabilities

Advancements in connected technologies, including machine sensors, robotics, augmented reality, and wearables, are transforming the way manufacturers operate. The promise of an environment where people and machines interact seamlessly based on real-time data will produce immense productivity benefits.

The risks, however, lie in how these technologies are implemented. Inadequate security controls, such as lax passwords and weak authentication, can create opportunities for external actors to access systems, gain control of machinery and steal sensitive data. These actors may remain undetected for days or weeks, giving them ample time to maximize the damage they inflict.

• Remote or at-home working security misconfigurations

Necessities around social distancing and restrictions on travel have placed an unforeseen set of burdens on industrial environments. Personnel who may otherwise have been working on site, where their IT usage would have been tightly governed by regular protections and procedures, are now operating from environments where they hold responsibility for the security of their connections and protection of data.

The skills involved in maintaining high security standards and best practices may not yet be second nature to the individual – it only takes small errors, such as connecting to unsecured wifi or leaving equipment containing sensitive data in public locations, to trigger a security event.

• Phishing attacks

Phishing has remained a primary tool for cyber attackers across sectors. Its simplicity means that attackers need only gain access to company contact details, such as a database of email addresses, to send malicious emails or text messages in the hope that an unwitting employee clicks through.

Where these attacks become particularly worrying is in their growing sophistication. Attackers are increasingly pursuing spear-phishing attacks, where they map out a social graph around key personnel, such as a company CEO or financial executive. Once identified, they then send credible informational requests or links to malicious cloud-based documents, to gain access to important company data or funds.

The fragmented nature of manufacturing organizations makes them particularly vulnerable to phishing attacks. Unsurprisingly, the sector has become the most targeted for criminals employing these sorts of tactics.