According to Kaspersky Labs’ 2018 State of Industrial Cybersecurity survey, 65% of organizations globally believe that high-risk Operational Systems (OT) or Industrial Control Systems (ICS) risks start with IoT devices. In the coming year, 53% say that realizing IoT use cases and managing connected devices is a big priority.

As OT and information technology converge, organizations can use IoT devices to increase the efficiency of industrial processes, but these devices and processes also carry risks and risks of attack. 2/3 of industrial organizations surveyed are concerned that they are likely to be the target of attacks related to industrial network control.

Of the Concerns related to IoT, more than half attributed the increased risks associated with IoT connectivity and integration. This is a major cybersecurity challenge, as well as new types of IoT security measures that need to be implemented quickly.

According to Kaspersky Labs, companies that rely on ICS are falling victim to common threats, including malware and ransomware. Nearly two-thirds of companies experienced at least one malware or virus attack on their ICS in 2017, 30% were attacked with ransomware and 27% had an ICS breach due to employee errors and actions.

Targeted attacks affecting the industrial sector accounted for just 16% in 2018 (down from 36% in 2017).

Georgy Shebuldaev, brand manager, Kaspersky Industrial Cybersecurity, said: “With the sector embracing many digital development trends such as Cloud and IoT to achieve high efficiency, the challenge and importance of cybersecurity becomes even more apparent. The good news is that more and more organizations and businesses are improving their cybersecurity policies to protect industrial control networks. While this is a step in the right direction, further action is needed to keep up with the pace of digitization such as updating incident response programs and using dedicated cybersecurity solutions.

VNCS Global is currently a distributor of Nozomi Network in Vietnam – the perfect partner to open up comprehensive monitoring of OT and IoT infrastructure to help businesses accelerate security and digital transformation.