Many cheered with the recent crackdowns on groups like LockBit, and rightfully so. However, the harsh reality is that most of these victories are short-lived. For example, after law enforcement seized control of multiple LockBit websites and stolen data, the group was back to running extortion campaigns within a week.
And the same can be said for many other high-profile busts of groups like Hive and Volt Typhoon. These groups re-build or re-brand, as was the case with the Conti Group offshoot Black Basta. After Conti disbanded, Black Basta reformed from the ashes and tallied over $100 million in ransomware payments last year.
My point is not to belittle the incredible work that global agencies are performing, but to illustrate that while the industrial sector continues to make tremendous gains - the war continues. And as we evolve and improve, so will the bad guys.
And perhaps no one knows this better than our guest for this episode - Rod Locke. He’s the director of project management at Fortinet, a leading provider of OT cybersecurity solutions. Watch/listen as Rod shares his thoughts on:
- The growing influence of state-sponsored hacker groups.
- The rise of dwelling or live-off-the-land attacks and how some hackers are more focused on learning about their victims than harming them.
- Why OT can't always place the blame on IT, and the value in understanding both environments.
- How some regulatory efforts might have "swung too far."
- How to attract more "unique individuals" to cybersecurity.
- An anticipated rise in cloud infrastructure and the ways it will impact data security.
To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast. And if you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at [email protected].
To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.
