- Hacktivists have targeted Canadian ICS, disrupting infrastructure related to water, oil and agriculture.
- ICS vulnerabilities stem from unclear roles and poor asset protection
- Canada recommends VPNs, 2FA and threat detection to secure ICS environments
The Canadian government has issued a new security alert warning of so-called hacktivists targeting industrial control systems (ICS).
The report states that the Cyber Center and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have received “several reports” of incidents involving Internet-accessible ICS.
Reports included an attack on a water facility, during which the perpetrators tampered with water pressure valves and degraded service to the community.
How to Secure Assets
The report also mentions a Canadian oil and gas company, where an automated tank gauge (ATG) was manipulated to trigger false alarms.
Finally, there was an attack on a grain drying silo on a Canadian farm, where the attackers altered the temperature and humidity levels. Fortunately, the attack was detected in time, otherwise it could have created “potentially dangerous conditions.”
ICS are computer systems used to monitor and control industrial processes and critical infrastructure, including supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, distributed control systems (DCS), and programmable logic controllers (PLC).
By gaining access, cybercriminals can disrupt power grids, water supplies, manufacturing lines or transportation networks, causing widespread damage and security risks. For hacktivists, exploiting ICS is a way to attract media attention, discredit organizations and “undermine Canada’s reputation,” the report adds.
The problem with ICS systems lies in “an unclear distribution of roles and responsibilities,” the Canadian government emphasizes in the report, saying they often create gaps that leave critical systems unprotected.
To solve the problem, companies operating ICS systems need “effective communication and collaboration.”
This communication involves proper inventory, documentation, and protection of Internet-connected assets, as well as ensuring that managed services are “securely implemented, maintained throughout their lifecycle, and based on clearly defined requirements.”
This also means businesses need to implement virtual private networks (VPNs), two-factor authentication (2FA), and powerful active threat detection.
Regular penetration testing and ongoing vulnerability management are also advised.
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