Operational technology cyberattacks have targeted 75% of industrial firms in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific during the past 12 months, 24% of which resulted in OT operation takedowns, reports SecurityWeek.
Most organizations were targeted weekly, monthly, or quarterly, with most intrusions involving IT systems as an initial vector, a report from Palo Alto Networks revealed. Moreover, over 50% expressed plans for OT cybersecurity budget increases over the next two years as more than 60% reported the importance of OT environment defenses. While nearly three-quarters of organizations regard the value of artificial intelligence-powered cybersecurity tools in thwarting intrusions, almost 50% noted the increased benefit of AI for threat operations rather than their security teams. "Shutdowns mean lost revenue opportunities, as well as damage control and event remediation costs, which can include additional security technologies and services, communications with customers and suppliers, law enforcement, and public relations," said Palo Alto Networks, which also noted regulatory fines, reputational damage, and other long-term effects of such takedowns.
