Excerpt from Industrial Cyber Article, Published on Sep 18, 2024.
OPSWAT’s latest report on cyberattacks highlights the vulnerability of critical infrastructure sectors, particularly from email-based threats. The report reveals that 80% of critical infrastructure organizations experienced email-related security breaches in the past 12 months, exposing significant security gaps and non-compliance issues. Email is identified as the primary attack vector, with a median of 75% of cybersecurity threats arriving through this channel. Despite advances in cybersecurity, 48% of organizations lack confidence in their current email defenses, making them susceptible to devastating cyberattacks.
Non-compliance further exacerbates the risk, with 65% of organizations not adhering to regulatory standards, exposing them to operational and business threats. The report emphasizes the need for a zero-trust mindset and a stronger perimeter defense strategy to combat these growing threats. Alarmingly, over 80% expect email attack levels to rise or remain the same in the next year.
OPSWAT stresses the importance of enhancing email security measures, including adopting advanced technologies like multiple scanning engines and real-time phishing detection. The report calls for critical infrastructure organizations to take immediate and proactive steps to improve their email security posture, noting that failure to do so could have severe implications for economic, financial, and health systems.
As cybercriminals and nation-state actors continue to target these vital sectors, OPSWAT’s report serves as a wake-up call for the industry to bolster defenses against email-borne threats and ensure compliance with cybersecurity standards.
To delve deeper into this topic, please read the full article on Industrial Cyber.
