Industrial Ransomware Threats: Dragos Analysis for Q3 2024
Summary:
Dragos has released its Q3 2024 Industrial Ransomware Analysis, which highlights a continued increase in ransomware attacks targeting industrial sectors, including manufacturing, energy, and transportation. Threat actors are increasingly focusing on disrupting operational technology (OT) environments alongside traditional IT systems, which poses serious risks to critical infrastructure. The report identifies major ransomware groups such as LockBit, BlackCat (ALPHV), and Cl0p, who remain highly active and are evolving their tactics to cause operational disruptions, exfiltrate sensitive data, and demand higher ransoms.
The analysis also notes that supply chain vulnerabilities and insecure remote access points are key entry mechanisms exploited by attackers to gain access to industrial environments. These findings emphasize the rising sophistication of ransomware campaigns and their potential to significantly impact production and safety operations.
Analyst comment:
The findings from Dragos' Q3 2024 report underscore the growing convergence of IT and OT environments, creating a broader attack surface for ransomware groups to exploit. Industrial sectors are particularly vulnerable because operational disruptions can have far-reaching consequences, such as halting production, impacting supply chains, and endangering safety.
The rise in ransomware activity highlights the increasing focus on double extortion tactics, where attackers not only encrypt systems but also exfiltrate sensitive data to pressure victims into paying ransoms. Organizations in industrial sectors must recognize the urgency of improving cybersecurity defenses, particularly around OT systems, remote access tools, and third-party supply chain partnerships.
Suggested Corrections:
Backup your data, system images, and configurations, regularly test them, and keep the backups offline: Ensure that backups are regularly tested and that they are not connected to the business network, as many ransomware variants try to find and encrypt or delete accessible backups. Maintaining current backups offline is critical because if your network data is encrypted with ransomware, your organization can restore systems.
Update and patch systems promptly: This includes maintaining the security of operating systems, applications, and firmware in a timely manner. Consider using a centralized patch management system; use a risk-based assessment strategy to drive your patch management program.
Test your incident response plan: There's nothing that shows the gaps in plans more than testing them. Run through some core questions and use those to build an incident response plan: Are you able to sustain business operations without access to certain systems? For how long? Would you turn off your manufacturing operations if business systems such as billing were offline?
Check Your Security Team's Work: Use a 3rd party pen tester to test the security of your systems and your ability to defend against a sophisticated attack. Many ransomware criminals are aggressive and sophisticated and will find the equivalent of unlocked doors.
Segment your networks: There's been a recent shift in ransomware attacks – from stealing data to disrupting operations. It's critically important that your corporate business functions and manufacturing/production operations are separated and that you carefully filter and limit internet access to operational networks, identify links between these networks, and develop workarounds or manual controls to ensure ICS networks can be isolated and continue operating if your corporate network is compromised. Regularly test contingency plans such as manual controls so that safety-critical functions can be maintained during a cyber incident.
Train employees: Email remains the most vulnerable attack vector for organizations. Users should be trained on how to avoid and spot phishing emails. Multi-factor authentication can help prevent malicious access to sensitive services.
Link(s):
https://www.dragos.com/blog/industry-news/dragos-2018-ics-year-in-review-key-takeaways-from-the-threat-operations-center/
Dragos has released its Q3 2024 Industrial Ransomware Analysis, which highlights a continued increase in ransomware attacks targeting industrial sectors, including manufacturing, energy, and transportation. Threat actors are increasingly focusing on disrupting operational technology (OT) environments alongside traditional IT systems, which poses serious risks to critical infrastructure. The report identifies major ransomware groups such as LockBit, BlackCat (ALPHV), and Cl0p, who remain highly active and are evolving their tactics to cause operational disruptions, exfiltrate sensitive data, and demand higher ransoms.
The analysis also notes that supply chain vulnerabilities and insecure remote access points are key entry mechanisms exploited by attackers to gain access to industrial environments. These findings emphasize the rising sophistication of ransomware campaigns and their potential to significantly impact production and safety operations.
Analyst comment:
The findings from Dragos' Q3 2024 report underscore the growing convergence of IT and OT environments, creating a broader attack surface for ransomware groups to exploit. Industrial sectors are particularly vulnerable because operational disruptions can have far-reaching consequences, such as halting production, impacting supply chains, and endangering safety.
The rise in ransomware activity highlights the increasing focus on double extortion tactics, where attackers not only encrypt systems but also exfiltrate sensitive data to pressure victims into paying ransoms. Organizations in industrial sectors must recognize the urgency of improving cybersecurity defenses, particularly around OT systems, remote access tools, and third-party supply chain partnerships.
Suggested Corrections:
Backup your data, system images, and configurations, regularly test them, and keep the backups offline: Ensure that backups are regularly tested and that they are not connected to the business network, as many ransomware variants try to find and encrypt or delete accessible backups. Maintaining current backups offline is critical because if your network data is encrypted with ransomware, your organization can restore systems.
Update and patch systems promptly: This includes maintaining the security of operating systems, applications, and firmware in a timely manner. Consider using a centralized patch management system; use a risk-based assessment strategy to drive your patch management program.
Test your incident response plan: There's nothing that shows the gaps in plans more than testing them. Run through some core questions and use those to build an incident response plan: Are you able to sustain business operations without access to certain systems? For how long? Would you turn off your manufacturing operations if business systems such as billing were offline?
Check Your Security Team's Work: Use a 3rd party pen tester to test the security of your systems and your ability to defend against a sophisticated attack. Many ransomware criminals are aggressive and sophisticated and will find the equivalent of unlocked doors.
Segment your networks: There's been a recent shift in ransomware attacks – from stealing data to disrupting operations. It's critically important that your corporate business functions and manufacturing/production operations are separated and that you carefully filter and limit internet access to operational networks, identify links between these networks, and develop workarounds or manual controls to ensure ICS networks can be isolated and continue operating if your corporate network is compromised. Regularly test contingency plans such as manual controls so that safety-critical functions can be maintained during a cyber incident.
Train employees: Email remains the most vulnerable attack vector for organizations. Users should be trained on how to avoid and spot phishing emails. Multi-factor authentication can help prevent malicious access to sensitive services.
Link(s):
https://www.dragos.com/blog/industry-news/dragos-2018-ics-year-in-review-key-takeaways-from-the-threat-operations-center/