The recent cyber-attack against Oldsmar Water Plant in Florida has increased concerns over cybercriminals targeting industrial organisations and highlighted that the cyber-physical attacks that have been predicted for years, are now happening.
In February this year, it was announced that cybercriminals had broken into the water plant and changed the level of sodium hydroxide being fed to people’s homes from 100 parts per million to 11,100 parts per million. It took over five hours for an employee to notice the changes, and the attack highlighted that cybercriminals are activity targeting industrial organisations, not just for financial gain but to cause physical damage as well.
The attack at Oldsmar follows a long string of incidents targeting the industrial sector, each of which have highlighted the importance of the sector doing more to improve their defences against attacks.
As any cybersecurity professional will cite, visibility across operational technology (OT) networks is essential. As OT is increasing connected to the internet, entry points for attackers increase. Therefore, having visibility across the entire network and all connected devices is critical.
This week it was announced that Obrela Security Industries, a leading MDR provider, has signed a new deal with ABS Consulting to tackle cyber-attacks targeting industrial organisations.
Commenting on the partnership, George Menexis, Chief Commercial Officer at Obrela, said: “Industrial organisations are currently experiencing heightened security risks with even the smallest cyberattack resulting in devastating consequences. Our partnership with ABS Consulting allows valued clients to take control of not only their OT risk but their IT risk with our trusted team of cybersecurity experts proficient in detecting, hunting and preventing today’s most advanced cyber threats.”
The partnership will combine ABS Consulting’s deep domain expertise in OT cyber with Obrela’s IT cybersecurity experience in a managed services package to offer improved visibility and control over increasing industrial cyber risks.
“IT-related risks have become commonplace with experts dedicated to managing malicious threats. However, OT environments require a unique understanding that is often vacant in operations, leaving businesses under attack—often unaware until it is too late,” says Ian Bramson, Global Head of Cybersecurity of ABS Consulting. “Organizations can now utilize ABS Consulting’s proficiency in OT risk alongside Obrela’s powerful Security Operations Center (SOC) to detect, respond and defend against sophisticated cybersecurity threats in real-time.”
