Endpoint/Device Security, Ransomware, Threat Management

Ransomware deployable in embedded systems

TechCrunch reports that vulnerabilities identified in Schneider Electric Easergy P5 protection relay used in modern electric grids, which could be abused to facilitate ransomware payload deployments, suggest the risk of launching ransomware on embedded systems, according to a Red Balloon Security report. Successful compromises of operational technology embedded devices could be significantly more damaging, compared with ransomware attacks on IT networks, said Red Balloon founder and co-CEO Ang Cui. "Companies are not used to or experienced in recovering from an attack on the embedded devices themselves. If the device is destroyed or made unrecoverable, then a replacement device needs to be sourced, and this can take weeks as there is a limited supply," said Cui. Embedded devices are also increasingly vulnerable to attacks amid the growing resilience of other entry points, said Thistle Technologies founder Window Snyder. "A lot of them don't have separation of privilege on them, a lot of them don't have separation between code and data, and a lot of them were developed with the idea that they’d be sitting on air-gapped networks — it's insufficient," Snyder added.

Get daily email updates

SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news

By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.