Data breaches in the energy sector are the fifth most expensive after those in healthcare, financial services, pharmaceuticals and technology, according to the 2021 Cost of a Data Breach Report. Read articles on cybersecurity for energy & utilities, from securing operational technology (OT) environments to protecting utilities from cyber threats.
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A New Cybersecurity Executive Order Puts the Heat on Critical Infrastructure Suppliers

3 min read - Ransomware. Five years ago, the cybersecurity community knew that term well, although among others it was far from dinner table conversation. Times have changed. Since early 2020, ransomware has hit a slew of headlines. People inside and outside of the security industry are talking about it, and many have experienced the ransomware pain firsthand. The IBM Security 2021 Cost of a Data Breach report notes that ransomware attacks cost on average $4.62 million, excluding the cost of paying the ransom.…

3 min read

Report: Cost of a Data Breach in Energy and Utilities

4 min read - On average, the cost of a data breach rose by 10% from 2020 to 2021. The energy industry ranked fifth in data breach costs, surpassed only by the health care, financial, pharmaceutical and technology verticals, according to the 17th annual Cost of a Data Breach Report. Some energy cybersecurity measures can help reduce the cost of a data breach in a big way. For example, take a look at zero trust deployments, artificial intelligence and automation. It's important to better…

4 min read

Roundup: 2021 Energy & Utility Data Breaches and Defenses in the News

3 min read - Ransomware is evolving. How long until it takes down operational technology?In May 2021, Colonial Pipeline, one of the largest fuel pipelines in the United States, faced a ransomware attack. The company, which transports more than 100 million gallons of gasoline and other fuel daily from Houston to the New York Harbor, shut down work for several days. It also showed how open our energy infrastructure is to cyber attacks. More and more, we rely on tech to run critical systems…

3 min read

The Weaponization of Operational Technology

8 min read - Contributed to this research: Adam Laurie and Sameer Koranne. Given the accelerating rise in operational technology (OT) threats, this blog will address some of the most common threats IBM Security X-Force is observing against organizations with OT networks, including ransomware and vulnerability exploitation. IBM will also highlight several measures that can enhance security for OT networks based on insights gained from the X-Force Red penetration testing team and X-Force incident response’s experience assisting OT clients with security incidents. These include…

8 min read
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