Attacks doubled on SCADA systems

According to a recent Dell Report the security of SCADA systems is very poor:

“Industrial operations often use SCADA systems to control remote equipment and collect data on that equipment’s performance. Whereas the motive behind POS and secure web browser attacks is typically financial, SCADA attacks tend to be political in nature, since they target operational capabilities within power plants, factories, and refineries, rather than credit card information. In 2014, Dell saw a 2X increase in SCADA attacks compared with 2013.

We saw worldwide SCADA attacks increase from 91,676 in January 2012 to 163,228 in January 2013, and 675,186 in January 2014.

The majority of these attacks targeted Finland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, likely because SCADA systems are more common in these regions and more likely to be connected to the Internet. In 2014, Dell saw 202,322 SCADA attacks in Finland, 69,656 in the UK, and 51,258 in the US.”

Click HERE for the full Dell Security, Annual 2015 Threat Report

It MUST be mandatory to implement and use measures as defined, e.g., in IEC 62351!!

Yes, it costs money – but it may cheaper to spent the money now and not later when the damages happen.

Don’t accept excuses.