Attacks targeting critical infrastructure have been on the rise in recent years. Back in 2019, for instance, 56% of utility professionals responsible for overseeing risk in their organizations’ operational technology (OT) assets told Siemens and the Ponemon Institute that they experience at least one shutdown or operational data loss event a year.

People make up an important part of an organization’s security posture. That’s because some employees have the rights necessary for accessing sensitive data as well as the privileges for viewing and/or editing critical systems. If those individuals have the right focus and training, they can play a crucial part in keeping those assets safe against digital attackers. But if they aren’t paying attention, they could do something that puts their employer at risk.

More and more companies understand the benefits of cloud computing, which is making their migration to the cloud more rapid. Per IDG’s 2020 Cloud Computing Study, 81% of organizations said that they’ve migrated either one application or a portion of their infrastructure to the cloud. The reasons why a company would shift its services towards the cloud depend on its business priorities, of course.

Scammers target businesses with phishing emails all the time, pretending to be legitimate customers or vendors asking for payment. While any company can be vulnerable to this type of attack, small- to medium-size companies are particularly vulnerable because it is easier for a scammer to do a bit of research online and identify the right people to impersonate or send a phishing email to.

Faced with rows of empty gas pumps, many Americans on the East Coast may be wondering why this happened, whether it will happen again, or if there is anything we can do to avoid future catastrophe. The unpleasant truth of the matter is that this will certainly not be the last time society is disrupted due to attackers targeting critical industrial control systems (ICS). The impact of such an attack is amplified by the growing reliance on automation and antiquated protocols throughout many OT networks.

Cloud compliance is more important than ever, especially as businesses and organizations continue to engage in remote and digital work practices due to COVID-19. Even before the pandemic, more and more companies were migrating to the cloud. But what exactly is cloud compliance, and what are some best practices you should keep in mind if you’re shopping for a provider or looking to enhance your current computing system?

Organizations can take various steps to protect their operational technology (OT) environments against digital threats. But some stand out more than others. In particular, network segmentation is described as “the first answer to insufficient ICS (Industrial Control System) cybersecurity.” Experts advocate zoning ICS assets to coordinate informational technology (IT) and OT environments effectively. That doesn’t always happen, however.

With the regular and much needed update to critical standards such as HIPAA, auditors and compliance experts need to be continuously on their toes to review and acquaint themselves with these new developments. One of the latest such updates is the Health Information Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) Enforcement rule, which has caused quite a stir in the industry due to confusion about its applicability.

Data breaches and ransomware attacks aren’t just still occurring. They’re also becoming more frequent. According to ZDNet, the number of ransomware attacks detected and blocked by one security firm grew 715% year-over-year in 2020 alone. Another security company calculated the total number of ransomware attacks for the year to be around 65,000, wrote NPR. That’s about seven ransomware incidents every hour.