The transportation industry is a critical component of the global economy, and it’s no surprise that cybercriminals are targeting this sector with increasing frequency. From recent ransomware attacks forcing cargo ships offline to increasing risks across freight railways and persistent threats targeting the aviation sector, risk is everywhere.
Transportation companies rely on distributed IT and IoT networks to conduct business and maintain operations, perhaps more than any other industry. Digitization has changed what IT infrastructure looks like across the sector — and radically expanded its overall attack surface.
An attack surface is any point in an organization or system that can be targeted by malicious actors like cybercriminals, hacktivists, or even sponsored nation-state actors. It includes all the different ways attackers can gain access to sensitive data or disrupt operations.
Your organization’s attack surface constantly changes as new technologies and processes are introduced. As the attack surface grows, so does the risk of a successful cyber-attack.
Attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in software, hardware, networks, and other systems to gain access to sensitive data or disrupt operations. They may also use social engineering techniques such as phishing emails to trick users into giving up their credentials or downloading malicious files.
An attack surface strategy is a comprehensive approach to data security management that covers your organization’s internal assets (cyber asset attack surface management or CAASM), digital risk for brand protection (digital risk protection services or DRPS) and external attack surface management (EASM) for threats targeting external and internet-facing assets.