CISA, others issue guidance on industrial operational technology threats

Amplified cybersecurity threats against industrial systems' operational technology have been highlighted by a new advisory from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI, the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, and other Five Eyes nations' cybersecurity agencies, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

With ransomware operations, state-sponsored hackers, and other cybersecurity threats exploiting the expanded attack surface resulting from the increasing prevalence of remotely monitored and managed operational technologies, organizations should ensure robust authentication measures and network segmentation, while working to reduce remote access paths, said the joint guidance.

"We strongly recommend OT practitioners worldwide follow the eight key principles to help make confident, security-led decisions that will safeguard critical services and strengthen trust in connected systems," said NCSC Chief Technology Officer Ollie Whitehouse.

Such an alert follows a joint advisory warning of pro-Russian hacktivist intrusions against critical infrastructure entities around the world.