Industrial Cybersecurity: Concept and how to implement it

Industrial cybersecurity refers to the information security used in industrial environments such as production plants, critical infrastructures, and industrial control systems.

Despite the advancements and improvements in the Internet of Things (IoT) and the refinement of Artificial Intelligence, which have allowed for the development of much more effective cybersecurity solutions, they have also enabled cybercriminals to find ways to enhance their cyberattacks, making them increasingly difficult to detect.

As a result, it is of utmost importance to invest in next-generation cybersecurity solutions in Industry 4.0. This way, sensitive data and information of the organization can be protected.

Consequences of not implementing cybersecurity solutions in industry 4.0

The lack of cybersecurity in an industry can entail: 

• Production interruptions.

• Damage to the company's reputation and brand image.

• Loss of sensitive and confidential data and information.

• Risks to the physical safety of workers and users.

• Significant economic losses. 

• Loss of competitiveness. 

What types of cyberattacks does Industry 4.0 face?

Next, we will discuss some of the threats that make it essential to implement cybersecurity solutions in Industry 4.0.

Malware (mostly Ransomware)

When we talk about malware, we refer to any type of software specifically designed to damage, alter, or access a company's computer infrastructure without authorization to steal data and information.

There are different types of malware:

• Viruses: Software programs that replicate and spread through files and computer systems.
  
  

• Worms: These are often used to distribute malware and can cause serious damage by overloading networks and systems.
  
  

• Trojans: Trojans are typically software programs disguised as legitimate software but actually contain malicious code. They allow cybercriminals to access the system to control it remotely. This way, they can steal information or execute new malware that can spread to other devices.
  
  

• Ransomware: This is the most common type of malware among businesses. It involves blocking the company's access to its own information in order to demand a ransom for its recovery. If the company does not comply with this extortion, the cybercriminal threatens to make the information public.

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• Spyware: Software developed to gather information about a user's activities without their knowledge. It records keystrokes, captures login information, monitors browser activity, etc.

   

• Adware: Software that displays unwanted advertisements or pop-ups on an infected system.
  
  

• Botnets: Botnets are commonly used to launch denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, send spam, or engage in illegal activities online.

Denial of service attacks (DDoS)

Denial-of-Service attacks (DDoS) are those that aim to overload resources and make the service inaccessible to legitimate users.

Some types of DDoS attacks:

• Traffic flooding attacks: involve the mass sending of data packets to the target network, overloading its bandwidth and consuming system resources.
  
  

• Amplification attacks: these attacks exploit vulnerabilities in network services to amplify traffic directed at the target user. For example, in a DNS amplification attack, the cybercriminal sends false query requests to misconfigured DNS servers, which respond with much larger responses to the user's address, thus amplifying the traffic.
  
  

• Resource exhaustion attacks: in this type of attack, attackers aim to deplete the resources of the target system, such as CPU, memory, or network resources, making services inaccessible to legitimate users.
  
  

• Application layer attacks: these attacks target specific vulnerabilities in web applications or application services to overwhelm them with legitimate but malicious requests.

Social engineering

This is a tactic of manipulation and persuasion by cybercriminals to obtain confidential, sensitive, or personal information from users.

Some examples:

• Phishing: involves sending emails, typically impersonating a company or person, with the aim of getting the user to click on a malicious link or download a file that, upon opening, executes malware on the system. 
  
  

• Pretexting: In this case, cybercriminals invent a story or create a pretext to deceive victims and obtain confidential information.
  
  

• Pharming: its goal is to redirect internet traffic from users to malicious websites without their consent and entirely unrelated to what is happening.
  
  

• Social engineering on social networks: cybercriminals can use publicly available information on social networks to build fake profiles and design customized social engineering attacks.

Supply chain attacks

This type of cyberattack targets companies through their suppliers or business partners. Instead of attacking the target company directly, they infiltrate the supply chain to compromise the organizations they are connected to.

Some examples of attacks that supply chains may suffer:

• Compromised software: cybercriminals can infiltrate a software provider's systems and compromise their products before they are distributed to customers.
  
  

• Cloud service provider attacks: cybercriminals can target these cloud service providers to compromise the data and systems of multiple customers.
  
  

• Hardware supplier attacks: attacks on hardware suppliers may involve the insertion of malicious devices into network equipment, servers, or other hardware devices before they are delivered to customers.
  
  

• Third-party compromise: cybercriminals can compromise third parties, such as suppliers, distributors, or business partners, who have access to the systems of the company they want to cyberattack. Once they succeed, these compromised third parties can serve as entry points to launch attacks against the targeted company.

Attacks on Industrial Control System (ICS)

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are critical components in environments such as power plants, factories, transportation systems, public utility infrastructure, as well as other types of industrial settings. These systems monitor and control physical processes and automated operations, making them particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Some examples: 

• Malicious code injection: cybercriminals can infiltrate industrial control systems by injecting malicious code, such as viruses, worms, or trojans, which can disrupt or manipulate system operations.
  
  

• Denial-of-service (DDoS) and service degradation attacks: Attackers may attempt to overwhelm or exhaust the resources of an industrial control system through denial-of-service attacks, resulting in operations disruption or system performance degradation.
  
  

• Data manipulation: Cybercriminals can manipulate the data transmitted between devices in an industrial control system, which can lead to process alterations, data falsification, or erroneous decision-making based on compromised information.
  
  

• Unauthorized access: Cybercriminals may attempt to gain unauthorized access to industrial control systems by exploiting security vulnerabilities, stealing passwords, or taking advantage of weaknesses in the system configuration.
  
  

• Targeted attacks: Some attacks on industrial control systems are highly targeted and designed to cause specific damage to critical infrastructures. These attacks can be carried out by state actors, advanced cybercriminal groups, or adversaries with political or economic motivations.

Code injection

Code injection refers to a technique where an attacker inserts malicious code into a program or system to execute unauthorized actions. This type of attack can be used to exploit vulnerabilities in web applications, databases, or operating systems.

Code injection can be carried out in various forms, such as SQL injection, JavaScript code injection, or shell code injection, among others. Once the malicious code has been successfully inserted, it can allow the attacker to take control of the system, steal sensitive data, modify or delete information, or perform other harmful actions.

Industrial cybersecurity: How to protect yourself?

To prevent cyberattacks in the industrial sector, it is essential to have cybersecurity solutions such as:

• Firewalls.

• Endpoints.

• Backup copies.

• Antiphishing solutions (95% of the cyberattacks start with an email).

Additionally, we recommend that you have a cybersecurity specialist. This way, they can audit your system, identify the vulnerabilities it faces, and determine its security gaps to create a customized cybersecurity strategy for your company.