CISA Warns of Ransomware Threat to Operational Technology and Control Systems

CISA warns that ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure such as Colonial Pipeline have demonstrated the rising threat that ransomware poses to operational technology (OT) assets and control systems.

“OT components are often connected to information technology (IT) networks, providing a path for cyber actors to pivot from IT to OT networks. Given the importance of critical infrastructure to national security and America’s way of life, accessible OT assets are an attractive target for malicious cyber actors seeking to disrupt critical infrastructure for profit or to further other objectives,” the agency wrote in a recent alert. “As demonstrated by recent cyber incidents, intrusions affecting IT networks can also affect critical operational processes even if the intrusion does not directly impact an OT network.”