According to media reports, ransomware attacks against the manufacturing industry have more than tripled compared with last year. This dramatic rise in cyberattacks poses serious concerns about the vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure serving the nation’s electric grid, and the government has responded with measures designed to thwart any such efforts. In the manufacturing sector, a ransomware attack typically involves blocking access to a victim’s computer files. Once the victim pays the specified ransom, access to the files is restored. As more and more manufacturing companies seek to reduce their energy costs and carbon footprints, they are deploying on-site energy equipment that is similar to that used in by electric utility companies. There is increasing concern that these attacks are providing a training ground for coordinated attacks on energy infrastructure in order to disrupt operation of the nation’s bulk power system.
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