Manufacturing has become the most attacked sector in the UK and Ireland, representing almost a third of all cyber attacks, while technology is the most attacked sector globally.
That’s according to a new report by technology services provider NTT Ltd, which warned that attackers are evolving their methods and are increasingly automating their attacks.
The 2020 Global Threat Intelligence Report revealed that criminals have been developing multi-function attack tools and using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities.
Despite efforts to boost their defences, many organisations are unable to stay ahead of attackers, while others are struggling to do the basics like patching old vulnerabilities.
Cyber attacks in the manufacturing sector are most commonly linked to intellectual property (IP) theft but businesses are also facing financially motivated data breaches, global supply chain risks and risks from unpatched vulnerabilities. In the latest research the UK was the only country (apart from Hong Kong) where manufacturing topped the list of most attacked sectors, representing 29% of all attacks, followed by technology (19%) in second place and business and professional services (17%) third. Government and finance completed the top five.
“UK manufacturing has become a major target for attackers in recent years as a result of the increased risks brought about from the convergence of IT and Operational Technology (OT),” said Rory Duncan, Security Go-to-Market Leader at NTT Ltd. “The biggest worry is that security has lagged behind in this sector, potentially exposing systems and processes to attack.”
Duncan added: “Now more than ever, it’s critical for all organisations, regardless of sector or region, to pay attention to the security that enables their business; making sure they are cyber-resilient and secure-by-design, which means embedding privacy and security into the fabric of their enterprise architecture and organisational culture.”
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Tags: AI, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, cybercrime, cyber attacks
