OTC News

The Conti ransomware operation has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on wind turbine giant Nordex, which was forced to shut down IT systems and remote access to the managed turbines earlier this month. Nordex is one of the largest developers and manufacturers of wind turbines globally, with more than 8,500 employees worldwide.

Eric Cosman, chairman of ISA99 Committee, explains that standards, guidance, and direction are available from several sources, but surveys and anecdotal reports have shown that many still struggle with how to turn this information into effective programs. Suppliers have a clear imperative to improve their products, but asset owners often struggle with how to get started. Practical approach into cybersecurity is very hard to find in the market, still today.

When the owner of the industrial plant has the possibility of having the best of both worlds, the best control systems and the best security. When the consequences occur the damage is done, and there is no turning back. That is why we say that it is never too late to deal with security (redesign), but the sooner much better (design).

A fire broke out at Kuwait’s largest oil refinery on October 18 and injured several people. The incident occurred at the Kuwait National Petroleum Company’s (KNPC) Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery on the Persian Gulf coastline just south of Kuwait City.

The Easington Gas Terminal in East Yorkshire, UK was shut down on October 19 after a methanol leak was discovered. Fire crews and emergency services attended the scene after the liquid leak was discovered at around 11:00 local time at Centrica’s plant at the site.

We continue to watch as many professionals with vast experience in Information Security, industrial companies taking action, renowned cybersecurity consultancies, government organizations and technology developers are wrong (by far) when it comes to mitigating industrial cyber risk. One of the main mistakes is to implement the same strategies as in industrial information security.

Cobalt Strike is a commercial penetration testing tool, which gives security testers access to a large variety of attack capabilities. Cobalt Strike can be used to conduct spear-phishing and gain unauthorized access to systems, and can emulate a variety of malware and other advanced threat tactics.

The first interim report on the investigation into the July 27 explosion at a chemical waste incineration plant in Leverkusen, Germany says that a chemical reaction was likely to have been the cause. The Cologne District Government made the announcement at a meeting of the City Council of Leverkusen on August 30, citing the first interim report on the investigation into the causes behind the incident.