Research from KnowBe4 reported that critical infrastructure sustained more than 420 million cyber attacks between January 2023 and January 2024, a rise of 30% from the previous year. Physical frameworks such as power grids, transportation, and communications networks are particularly at risk due to the disruption any failures would cause.
As infrastructure across the globe becomes increasingly digitized, reliance on the internet leaves them vulnerable to cyber threats. Power grids in Europe and the United States, for example, are increasingly at risk from a ‘cyberattack deluge’, and have been inundated with attacks by the thousand since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The infrastructure of over 160 countries has been targeted, with the primary target being the US, followed by the UK, Germany, India, and Japan. The threat actors reportedly most often originated from China, Russia, and Iran.
Cyber War
Attacks on infrastructure have the potential to cripple the daily lives of millions, with hospitals and businesses at risk, as well as millions left without access to bank accounts or power. The number of attacks on utilities has quadrupled since 2020. When you consider the heightened physical threat, such as the sabotage of internet cables, there is potential for devastating damage.
Earlier this year, US water networks were identified as a serious target for foreign-backed threat actors. Whilst so far these have only caused minimal disruption, Leonard Birnbaum, chief executive of E.ON, one of Europe’s largest utilities, said that “the crooks are becoming better by the day,” commenting, “I am worried now and I will be even more worried in the future.”
Research suggests that in the event of an attack, it’s most likely that electrical power facilities would be the first target, with railroads, communications, and manufacturing facilities behind. These are, of course, calculated scenarios – but the rise in cyber attacks highlights the need to invest in cyber security now more than ever.
Via KnowBe4