Security News > 2020 > May > Researchers Analyze Entry Points, Vectors for Manufacturing System Attacks
Researchers from cybersecurity firm Trend Micro and the Polytechnic University of Milan have analyzed the possible entry points and vectors for attacks targeting smart manufacturing environments, and they discovered several new vulnerabilities in the process.
It's not uncommon for traditional malware to make its way into industrial environments and in many cases they are detected by existing security solutions, but sophisticated attackers looking to target industrial organizations are more likely to launch attacks that specifically target operational technology systems to make their attack more efficient and less likely to be detected.
Trend Micro teamed up with the university to see exactly how attackers could gain access to manufacturing environments and the actions they could conduct.
Engineering workstations are used to manage PLCs and HMIs, and gaining access to workstations can be highly useful to an attacker as it allows them to access sensitive information, move laterally, or tamper with manufacturing equipment.
Custom IIoT devices, which allow engineers to run fully custom automation logic on manufacturing equipment, can also be a good entry point for attacks.