Security News > 2022 > June > Customized malware coded to target OT systems

The firm has been delivering OT solutions since its foundation back in 1903, introducing the first PLC back in the 70's, and linking the plant floor and the information world in the late 80's. It started to deliver network and security services in the OT space in the 2000's and more recently delved deeper into cybersecurity through the acquisition of several smaller security and cloud companies in this sector.

It's the first thing which makes OT networks different from IT - OT networks are often full of a lot of very old kit.

Within 20 years, OT networks have gone from splendid isolation to hyper-connectivity through a complex series of interfaces that hook up the industrial side of an operation to IT business management.

"Many CISOs from the IT side don't realize they have more Ethernet nodes on the OT network than they do on the IT network, some of which they have no clue are even there. In some manufacturing networks these can easily be more than 1,000 nodes which are not properly protected."

OT networks are operational systems and can't be poked too hard, so the less intrusive the better, Cuartiella says.

This won't always be the case, Cuartiella warns, with the Pipedream OT malware offering a glimpse of challenging times ahead. "Regardless of who is behind this, there is a growing threat from malware which has been coded to target OT systems rather than IT systems."

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/06/28/customized_malware_coded_to_target/