Security News > 2020 > December > Industrial Control Systems Ripe Targets for Ransomware
Security researchers at IBM Corp. and Dragos Inc. are warning that the industrial control systems that power manufacturing plants and utilities are prime targets for ransomware attackers.
In a report issued this week, the researchers noted that ransomware attacks against industrial entities jumped more than 500 percent over the last two years.
The analysis also found that ransomware operators are increasingly incorporating data theft and extortion operations into their attack techniques, potentially posing even greater impact from ransomware than disrupted operations through leaked intellectual property and other critical data.
To combat ransomware in ICS environments, the researchers suggest that asset owners and operators engage in effective defense-in-depth security strategies.
Over the summer, FireEye reported that a total of seven ransomware families have been found to target processes associated with operational technology software.