The mining industry is evolving rapidly, with digitization, automation and IoT devices fueling operational efficiencies. However, these advances come at a cost: an increasingly connected operating environment exponentially expands the threat surface. This makes mining operations more vulnerable to cyber threats, and more difficult to protect against attacks.
But what do cyberattacks on mining companies look like, and what can operators do to build cyber resiliency? Read on to learn about the three most common cyber threats facing the mining industry – and the steps they should take to deflect potential attacks.
The connectivity between a mine’s operational systems and its enterprise network opens the entire organization up to cyber threats.
The Perfect Cyber Threat Storm
For decades, mining companies relied on legacy industrial control systems (ICS) that kept them isolated (i.e., air gapped) from broader corporate IT systems. But with mounting pressure to improve profitability through operational efficiencies, organizations have embraced Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies. The integration of IIoT devices into control systems, and the subsequent connection of once-isolated operational systems with a mine’s entire enterprise network, leaves entire operations open to cyber threats.
And these threats are real. In fact, in a recent information security survey, 54% of mining and metals companies suffered a significant cyber security incident in the last year. Threat actors know that exploiting one weak spot in a mine operator’s IT system can often deliver access to the entire IT/OT network. Attackers are now taking advantage of the cyber security gaps present at many mines. It’s fair to say that the stakes are high: a su ..
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