Over 50% of enterprise IT and OT professionals have seen an increase in cyber threats since the outbreak of the COVID-19, with 72% finding that their jobs have become more demanding.
These are the findings of a new Claroty report titled “The Critical Convergence of IT and OT Security in a Global Crisis ,” which examined the concerns, attitudes, and experiences of 1,100 full-time IT and OT professionals involved in critical infrastructure elements of large organizations in Europe , North America, and Asia.
According to the report, 70% of these professionals have noticed that cybercriminals are using new tactics to target their organizations during the health crisis.
Among the 200 respondents based and working in the UK, almost a third said their organisation’s OT environment is not properly and adequately protected from potential cyber threats, while a fifth revealed that their business is not prioritising cybersecurity during this period.
Challenges around adopting new technologies (41%) and collaboration between IT and OT teams (56%) were also highlighted by UK respondents.
However, there was plenty of encouraging evidence that organizations are adapting to the new circumstances, with 83% of UK-based IT and OT professionals saying their organizations are prepared for potential significant disruption.
The five industries considered most vulnerable to cyberattacks are the pharmaceutical industries, the oil and gas industries, the electricity industries, and the construction and building management industries.
Yaniv Vardi, CEO of Claroty, said that protecting critical infrastructure is especially important during a time of crisis. He added that as large enterprises try to improve their productivity by connecting more OT and IoT devices to remotely access their corporate networks, they are also increasing their exposure. OT security must be brought to the forefront and prioritized across all organizations. Cybercriminals know that IT networks are covered with cybersecurity solutions, so they try to exploit any vulnerabilities in OT to gain access to corporate networks. Therefore, Vardi emphasized that not protecting OT is like protecting a house with state-of-the-art systems , but leaving “the front door open.”
