Security News > 2023 > October > Researchers warn of 100,000 industrial control systems exposed online
About 100,000 industrial control systems were found on the public web, exposed to attackers probing them for vulnerabilities and at risk of unauthorized access.
Among them are power grids, traffic light systems, security and water systems.
Exposed ICSs include units for critical infrastructure systems.
Industrial systems are not exempt from critical vulnerabilities, which can impact a wide range of ICS as well as more specific but widely used tools.
The cases of malware infections by state-sponsored hackers or cyberattacks by opportunistic threat actors targeting ICSs abound, and the authorities in the U.S. have issued relevant warnings multiple times, urging system administrators to secure the critical infrastructure under their control.
For secure remote access to Industrial Control Systems, organizations should implement at least basic security measures like VPN access, multi-factor authentication, role-based access control, and network segmentation.