Geopolitical tensions are spilling into cyberspace, and Team82’s latest research shows that cyber-physical systems (CPS) are increasingly becoming a preferred target of opportunistic threat actors. These groups are often inspired politically and socially by geopolitical events, yet may not be as skilled as their nation-state counterparts. Their aim is to disrupt critical infrastructure and the services vital to the way of life for people caught in the crossfire, while simultaneously calling attention to their political and social causes.
In this report, Team82 will share its research evaluating 200-plus attacks carried out by more than 20 such threat-actor groups against CPS in numerous industries, with a high concentration of these attacks impacting manufacturing, water and wastewater, and power-generation—sectors that represent enormous capital for a hacktivist entity intent on disrupting resources and sowing chaos in society. Our research also shows that many of these incidents are regionalized and aligned with geopolitical ideologies.
