Nozomi Networks Labs Report: Vulnerability Disclosures Rising at an Alarming Rate; Ransomware Attacks Costing Critical and Industrial Infrastructure Millions

Latest research finds critical manufacturing vulnerabilities spiked 148% in the first half of 2021 – Ransomware as a Service driving attacks and IoT Security Cameras showing weaknesses

SAN FRANCISCO, July 15, 2021 — A new report from Nozomi Networks Labs finds cyber threats growing at an alarming rate in the first half of 2021. Attacks are driven largely by the emergence of Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) gangs that are cashing in on critical infrastructure organizations. Analysis of rising ICS vulnerabilities found critical manufacturing was the most susceptible industry, while a deep dive into IoT security cameras highlights how quickly the attack surface is expanding.

“Colonial Pipeline, JBS and the latest Kaseya software supply chain attack are painful lessons that the threat of ransomware attacks is real,” said Nozomi Networks Co-founder and CTO Moreno Carullo. “Security professionals must be armed with network security and visibility solutions that incorporate real time threat intelligence and make it possible to quickly respond with actionable recommendations and plans. Understanding how these criminal organizations work and anticipating future attacks is critical as they defend against this unfortunate new normal.”

Nozomi Networks’ latest “IoT Security Report” gives cybersecurity professionals an overview of the OT and IoT threats analyzed by the Nozomi Networks Labs security research team. The report found:

• Analysis of DarkSide, REvil and Ryuk highlight the growing dominance of RaaS models.
• ICS-CERT vulnerabilities increased 44% in the first half of 2021.
• Vulnerabilities in the critical manufacturing sector rose 148%.
• The top 3 industries affected included critical manufacturing, a grouping identified as multiple industries, and the energy sector.
• Software supply chain-related vulnerabilities continue to surface – as do medical device vulnerabilities.
• With more than a billion CCTV cameras expected to be in production globally this year, insecure IoT security cameras are a growing concern. The report includes an analysis of the Verkada breach and security vulnerabilities in Reolink cameras and ThroughTek software – discovered by Nozomi Networks Labs.

“As industrial organizations embrace digital transformation, those with a wait and see mindset are learning the hard way that they weren’t prepared for an attack,” said Nozomi Networks CEO Edgard Capdevielle. “Threats may be on the rise, but technologies and practices to defeat them are available now. We encourage organizations to adopt a post-breach mindset pre-breach and strengthen their security and operational resiliency before it’s too late.”

Nozomi Networks’ “OT/IoT Security Report” provides security professionals with key insights for re-evaluating risk models and security programs, along with actionable recommendations for securing operational systems. The report focuses on ransomware, new vulnerability disclosures and the security risks of IoT security cameras.

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