Top 5 Cyber Threats faced by Chemical Industries

Have you recently joined the chemical industry? Are you worried about cyber security threats to OT systems? Do you want to know how cyber attacks affect our lives through the chemical industry? Your answers can be found here. In the paragraphs below, we’ll discuss the top cyber threats facing the chemical industries.

What are Chemical Industries?

This sector involves companies that produce industrial chemicals or incorporate heavy use of chemicals in their products. These industries involve construction, agriculture, energy, and even food production. Due to how essential it is to our modern-day lives, it is an important part of the global economy. The chemical industry started in the 19th century and has progressed in science and technology. Due to the developments, it has become a trillion-dollar industry. Furthermore, due to how big the industry is, it has attracted a lot of cyber attackers. However, companies who want to protect themselves must buy OT solutions. OT solutions protect companies’ OT systems from attack, as the consequences of poor cyber security can be very severe.

What are the Subsectors in the Chemical Industry?

The chemical industry is divided into various sub-sectors. These sub-sectors produce special types of chemicals.

1. Basic Chemicals Industry

This is the foundation of the whole chemical industry. The reason for this is that basic chemicals are raw materials that are used to produce other chemicals. Some examples are sodium hydroxide and potassium chloride.

• Specialty Chemicals Industry

This industry has chemicals that have a wide array of applications. Some of those applications include cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and even electronics. The chemicals are sold based on their performance and not their composition. Some examples are pesticides and adhesives.

•  Consumer Chemicals Industry

The chemicals in this industry are chemicals that are sold directly to customers. These chemicals can easily be purchased online or in retail stores. Some examples of consumer chemicals are paints, detergents, and even perfumes.

What are Cyber Attacks and Threats?

Cyber threats are possible attacks that seek to maliciously access or destroy information and devices of an organization illegally. For OT cyber attacks, the threats seek to bring down the availability of the systems. For OT systems vulnerable to cyber attacks, these attacks seek to disrupt operations. Due to the lack of normal cybersecurity measures, an OT cyber attack can occur without detection. An example of an OT cyber attack was the Ukraine power grid attack in 2015. As a result of OT systems vulnerability, companies invest a lot in defender industries and secure configurations.

What are Top Cyber Threats to the Chemical Industry?

A recent study showed that cyber-attacks caused a loss of 1.3 billion pounds to the chemical industry. Some OT threats are discussed below.

• Industrial Control System(ICS) Attacks

ICS systems are used to control the systems and machinery in the chemical industry. In addition, ICS enables control of complex processes such as the distribution of chemicals. These attacks can disrupt the control processes leading to improper operations or dangerous conditions. One example is if an attack causes a chemical reaction at the wrong temperature. ICS systems were not designed with cyber security in mind. Hence they are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. It is also incredibly difficult to update ICS, so it will be hard to patch the vulnerabilities. One way to reduce the risk of cyber attacks on ICS is to segment the ICS network from the rest of the organization. This would make it harder for attackers to gain access.

1. Malware Infiltration

This type of cyber attack is taken very seriously because it is the first true case of a physical, cyber attack. The malware works by attacking a safety system. This method of attacking can be catastrophic to both the machinery and human lives. The malware can infiltrate through the use of the internet by employees. Another way the malware infiltrates is through “drive-by download” and SQL injection. Due to the damage that can be caused by malware infiltration, a need for tight security for OT systems arises. Companies defend themselves from malware infiltration through regular patching of OT systems and monitoring log files for unusual connection attempts.

•  Human Threat

A human threat can be explained as threats that can occur as a result of an employee using their access to cause harm to the system intentionally or unintentionally. These employees may be under duress or may be seeking personal gain. Employees may also install unverified patches, which can lead to functional problems. Organizations introduce policies for security to ensure an employee’s negligence or intentionality doesn’t cause harm to the entire company. Most of the attacks affect the weak parts of the OT system and utilize a lack of standard protocol in the OT system.

• Unpatched Vulnerabilities

A vulnerability is a weakness that attackers can exploit to gain access. Unpatched vulnerabilities are weaknesses identified and reviewed, but the necessary patches still need to be implemented. The lack of proper security due to the unpatched vulnerabilities leads to security risks in the OT system. This security risk can lead to damages such as financial loss and disruption in the production of chemicals. One method companies implement to reduce the risk of this cyber attack is to ensure their OT systems are updated with the latest patches.

• Denial of Service(DoS) Attacks

This cyber threat involves a threat that overloads a target system through high traffic, causing the system to crash. Due to the nature of DoS attacks, the availability of computer networks and systems’ availability is halted. Chemical Industries require using networks and technologies to properly manage and control their operations. A DoS attack stops that and causes significant harm to the company. This can lead to safety hazards and environmental damage. In addition, a DoS attack can lead to data loss as well as loss of intellectual property. Due to this threat, the chemical industry employs multi-layered security systems such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems.

Conclusions

The chemical industry is a very important part of the economic system. As such, cyber threats that attack the chemical industry have a huge effect on our daily lives. The threats listed can affect industrial devices and systems, and this will, in turn, lead to loss and affect production. The good news is that with OT solutions, every company can defend itself from these cyber threats.