Email is such a seamless part of everyday life that it is easy to take for granted just how vulnerable anyone can be to a well-crafted effort to steal your identity or confidential financial information. One of the most effective methods used by hackers is phishing, which entails trying to trick you into clicking on a link or attachment in an email. Instead of the attachment you thought you were opening, you have inadvertently opened the door to hacking from an outside source, usually without your knowledge.

 This is an original article written by Alpine Security.

The number of healthcare cybersecurity breaches is on the rise with tens of millions affected in larger breaches, but hackers may target even regional insurers, smaller healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and individual physician’s offices. These breaches put medical facilities, insurers, and practitioners in the hot seat because they are liable for the security of the information they gather. 

This is an original article written by Alpine Security. 

Protecting your agency or company from cyber crime is critical to keeping your business running smoothly and profitably in the digital age.

What are two of the most likely areas of vulnerability in your cyber defense strategy?

In a world where information security threats are constantly looming, it is important for companies – and required for manufacturers with Department of Defense contracts – to ensure they are protected and compliant. With the December 31, 2017 deadline for U.S Department of Defense’s cybersecurity compliance behind us, government contractors are required to demonstrate compliance in order to keep their contracts and gain new ones in 2018.

“Manufacturers have a variety of tools available to help pursue comprehensive organizational security, starting with cybersecurity. The first step is to determine one’s existing cybersecurity protections and tools and identify easy gaps to fill. Taking protective steps can decrease the time and resources spent on a security breach.”  - John Remsey, Senior Technical Specialist (IMEC)

Whitepaper and executive summary provided by the ISA, a technology and workforce training partner of IMEC.

Effective cybersecurity management is essential for all organizations, regardless of size. There are many standards and guidance documents available to help organizations determine a way forward.

The ISA whitepaper “Industrial Cybersecurity for Small- and Medium-Sized Businesses” is intended to provide a starting point for SMBs, particularly those that manage industrial processes and employ some level of automation. Specific examples include SMBs in the chemical, water, or wastewater treatment sectors.

While it is generally accepted that Operational Technology (OT) system security requires different or additional measures than general-purpose Information Technology (IT) system security, it is also true that smaller companies might have difficulty implementing much of the available guidance.

Written by Cytellix - an IMEC cybersecurity partner

There has been a lot of recent news and discussion about several malware variants that have been defined as ransomware attacks. There are and have been other damaging malware attacks, but ransomware popularity is currently very well publicized.

Ransomware attacks are not simple but are commonplace in the market today. These attacks typically find their way into an organization through social engineering. To be more specific, the malware is embedded in an attachment as an executable. There are several outcomes from ransomware that we have seen thus far: an individual machine is encrypted and the decryption key is held for ransom by the attacker and a currency request of a “Bitcoin” is requested to decrypt the machine in question. The nastier variants can traverse from machine to machine through the network, creating a systemwide infection. This attack causes severe networkwide shutdowns, causing an organization to recover through more significant ransom payments, or if the company was prepared, backup remediation steps are taken.

Written by John Remsey, IMEC Senior Technical Specialist

Cybersecurity has become a hot topic within manufacturing over the past months, especially for the Defense supply chain with the federal government increasing their emphasis on addressing threats to the security of information.  In December 2015, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) released a rule to the Defense Acquisition Federal Regulation Supplement (DAFRS) that requires government contractors to implement the requirements of National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171 by December 31, 2017.  With this deadline fast approaching, conversation, and urgency, to become compliant is increasing.

Now is your chance to help mold the future of cyber security research in the Energy Industry. Contribute to needs, gaps, and paths towards addressing the challenges that face the industry today and in the future.

When confronting the serious risks posed by industrial cyberattack, today’s manufacturers need a comprehensive set of capabilities—best-practice standards and compliance as well as workforce training and education.

The International Society of Automation—the worldwide professional association of automation professionals and an IMEC partner—has developed proven industrial automation and control systems (IACS) standards (ISA99/IEC 62443) and a widely recognized compliance and testing program (ISASecure™) to ensure IACS device and equipment conformance to the standards.

Results of a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, canvassing more than 1,600 leading experts on the Internet and computer systems and networks, predicted that a major industrial cyberattack will occur sometime within the next 10 years that will cause widespread harm to America’s security and welfare. “Widespread harm” was defined as significant loss of life or property losses/damage/theft in the tens of billions of dollars.

The International Society of Automation (ISA)—a global leader in industrial automation and control system (IACS) cybersecurity standards and compliance, training and certificate programs; and an official IMEC partner—is working with the US government and leaders throughout industry to increase awareness of growing cyberthreats and to underscore how to best combat them.