US utilities facing escalating cyberattacks

Reuters reports that U.S. utilities experienced 1,162 weekly cyberattacks on average between January and August, a 69% increase from the same period last year, which is the highest percentage gain across all industries.

Software vendors, consultant organizations, and education/research entities recorded the next highest year-over-year increase in average weekly cyberattacks, while internet service providers/managed service providers, retail/wholesale organizations, and leisure/hospitality firms had the steepest declines, data from Check Point Research revealed. Even though none of the cyberattacks have successfully compromised utilities across the country, such findings emphasize the need to secure critical infrastructure against their increasing vulnerability against potentially devastating intrusions, according to cybersecurity experts, who also noted the exacerbation of such attacks as the upcoming presidential polls near. “With the upcoming U.S. election, we can expect a surge in cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, including utilities, energy grids, and communication networks,” said Binary Defense Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst Nataliia Zdrok.