2022 Thales Data Threat Report: Critical Infrastructure Edition

Critical infrastructure, which for the purposes of this report includes energy/utilities, telecommunications, transportation and trucking/ shipping companies, became top of mind for many beginning in 2020 when high-profile security attacks impacted millions of people across the globe. From the ransomware attack that compromised a major U.S. gas pipeline in 2021 to the rise of nation-state attacks, particularly since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, critical infrastructure organizations are under siege.

The effects of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure are not only inconvenient, but they can also be lifethreatening. Critical infrastructure organizations have some of the highest uptime requirements due to health and human safety concerns, resulting in even higher availability requirements than banking or healthcare. Security breaches in this sector can be incredibly disruptive to society and are attracting considerable attention from governments and regulatory bodies around the world.

We summarize some of the most important findings of the 2022 Thales Data Threat Report Critical Infrastructure Edition, which includes responses from 300 security leaders and practitioners within critical infrastructure organizations and conclude with thoughts on reducing the risk of attacks such as ransomware and malware.