Cyber attacks on critical infrastructure pose major risk to communities. Here’s how to prepare.

As the world of cybercrime continues to accelerate, today’s threats have moved far beyond the ecosystem of just private enterprises. The threats to governments and communities have become a real issue, with industrial control systems that power critical infrastructure being the latest target for disruptive cyber criminals.

The potential for power failures, contaminated water or damage to pipelines represent real-world risks that could bring enormous economic costs, not to mention a human toll. As a result, governments and private enterprises are working relentlessly to catch-up to minimize exposure and ensure protection – as these industrial control systems play a major role in powering the backbone of society.

Just how serious and pervasive are the threats? A recent report from KnowBe4 showed that global critical infrastructure faced over 420 million cyberattacks in 2024 alone, which in of itself raises serious alarm bells. While the United States was the primary target, the report indicates that 163 other countries also experienced attacks on critical infrastructure, often attributed to state-sponsored organizations.

In this point-of-view, we break down the major vulnerabilities and share some approaches for strengthening operational technology in 2025.

Attack vectors threatening industrial systems

Cyber security was once thought of as a back-office IT room activity to secure and protect a company’s data and systems from being exposed to criminals. Today the topic has moved much higher up the value-chain, with bad actors and state-sponsored criminals looking to inflict harm to communities and cause potentially billions in economic damage. This is the new world of critical infrastructure cyber threats. The following areas are known targets that potentially pose great risk in our communities:

• Power Grid Breaches - Russian-linked hackers knocked out Ukrainian electricity distribution in 2015, leaving millions without power. Similar attacks today could create billions in economic damage alongside widespread social disruption – effects that extend well beyond temporary outages.
• Water Treatment Manipulation - Attackers nearly poisoned a Florida water facility in 2021 by remotely changing chemical treatment levels. Any successful breach could make water toxic or undrinkable, overwhelming medical facilities and damaging public trust in essential services.
• Fuel Pipeline Disruption - The Colonial Pipeline incident demonstrated infrastructure vulnerability when fuel supplies stopped flowing to the US East Coast in 2021. Advanced attacks might cause physical pipeline ruptures through pressure manipulation, creating immediate safety hazards alongside supply chain issues.
• Chemical Plant Sabotage - Sophisticated attackers targeted Saudi petrochemical safety systems with Triton malware in 2017. Control system manipulation in these environments can trigger toxic releases or catastrophic explosions affecting wide geographic areas.
• Nuclear System Compromise - Even air-gapped nuclear facilities remain vulnerable, as Stuxnet proved years ago. Modern attacks might disable cooling mechanisms or alter reactor controls, with implications extending far beyond facility boundaries.
• Transportation Control Threats - Connected vehicles and traffic systems face growing risks from coordinated attacks. While this is stuff once seen in Hollywood movies, the manipulation of multiple transportation control systems presents unprecedented safety challenges and is a real risk public authorities have concerns about.

A common thread is that today’s buildings, manufacturing plants, municipal infrastructure and public systems all have critical operational processes that are highly interlinked through the Internet of Things (IoT), AI and data-powered systems. As a result, each have weaknesses that advanced hackers can potentially gain access to and create disruption at scale.

Why are critical industrial systems so vulnerable?

While IT teams protect information assets, operational technology experts safeguard physical industrial processes, such as the pumps, robots, meters and sensors that control infrastructure. Many organizations mistakenly apply traditional IT security approaches to operational technology (OT) environments. Attacks typically begin in business networks before spreading to manufacturing robots and industrial controls, creating physical impacts far more serious than just data theft. Let’s explore these vulnerabilities.

First, network integration without proper segmentation is a lead driver of exposures. Manufacturing systems increasingly connect to external networks without adequate security barriers. The 2015 Ukraine power outage began with a basic phishing email that eventually reached critical operational systems. Unpatchable legacy technology is another driver. For example, industrial control platforms often run on systems with known security flaws. Operational requirements, compatibility limitations, and continuous uptime demands make patching nearly impossible in many environments.

AI tools are rapidly changing the threat landscape by fundamentally altering attack capabilities against industrial controls. Modern AI tools identify system vulnerabilities with unprecedented speed. Machine learning-powered malware adapts in real-time, slipping past traditional defences. Complex industrial architectures provide more potential entry points for these intelligent threats.

Another vulnerability driver is new regulatory requirements. Europe's new NIS2 Directive signals a major shift by specifically targeting manufacturing, energy, water management, healthcare, and transportation – recognizing industrial security as essential to operational safety and national resilience.

Protection starts with two critical steps

To begin building stronger resilience to cyber threats in the OT space, we recommend a first step of comprehensive risk outlining. To do this, start by mapping vulnerabilities across connected systems. Combine ISA 62443 assessment frameworks with targeted penetration testing of industrial networks to uncover hidden exposure points. Additionally, focus on key areas such as asset identification and visibility to ensure all assets are clearly identified and managed effectively. Implement network segmentation to isolate critical systems and limit the spread of any potential cyberattack. Other key protection and mitigation steps include:

• Enhance physical security measures for operational technology environments to secure access to critical systems and prevent unauthorized physical access to sensitive areas.
• Conduct regular incident response and recovery exercises to prepare for potential cyber-attacks, ensuring your team is equipped to handle emergencies and recover quickly.
• Lastly, perform non-intrusive monitoring. Passive network monitoring captures traffic patterns without operational disruption, enabling rapid detection of both cyber threats and engineering anomalies.

Industrial control system threats continue to grow more sophisticated

The time for strengthened protection measures is now, before any catastrophic breach can occur. Confidence in data and systems’ security is key if society is to benefit from the potential efficiencies that the new world of “IoT” and connected infrastructure can bring.

Want to learn more? Our team brings together specialized cyber security expertise and industrial engineering knowledge supporting manufacturers, utilities, energy providers, transportation networks, and water management systems worldwide – and can help you to prepare for a stronger and more resilient future.