- Hacktivists targeted Canadian ICS and disrupted water, oil and agricultural infrastructure
- ICS vulnerabilities stem from unclear roles and poor asset protection
- Canada encourages VPNs, 2FA and threat detection to secure ICS environments
The Canadian government has issued a new security warning against so-called hacktivists targeting Industrial Control Systems (ICS).
The report says the Cyber Center and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have received “several reports” of incidents involving Internet-accessible ICS.
Among the reports was an attack on a water plant where the miscreants tampered with water pressure valves and degraded service to the community.
How to secure the assets
The report also mentions a Canadian oil and gas company where an Automated Tank Gauge (ATG) was manipulated to trigger false alarms.
Finally, there was an attack on a grain drying silo in a Canadian farm where the attackers changed the temperature and humidity. Fortunately, the attack was caught in time, otherwise it could have resulted in “potentially unsafe conditions.”
ICS are computer-based systems used to monitor and control industrial processes and critical infrastructure, including Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC).
By gaining access, cybercriminals can disrupt power grids, water supplies, production lines or transportation networks, causing extensive damage and security risks. For hacktivists, exploiting ICS is a way to gain media attention, discredit organizations and “undermine Canada’s reputation,” the report further states.
The problem with ICS systems is “unclear allocation of roles and responsibilities,” the Canadian government stressed in the report, saying they often create gaps that leave critical systems unprotected.
To solve the problem, companies operating ICS systems need “effective communication and collaboration.”
This communication involves properly inventorying, documenting, and protecting Internet-connected assets, as well as ensuring that managed services are “deployed securely, maintained throughout their lifecycle, and based on clearly defined requirements.”
It also means that companies should implement Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), two-factor authentication (2FA) and a strong active threat detection system.
Regular penetration testing and continuous vulnerability management are also recommended.
The best antivirus for all budgets
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, video unboxings, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
