Increasing Sophistication of Attacks and Evolving Threat Landscape Powering Global Industrial Cybersecurity, Outlook 2022

Increasing Sophistication of Attacks and Evolving Threat Landscape Powering Global Industrial Cybersecurity, Outlook 2022

Cybersecurity attacks increased tremendously in 2020 and 2021, primarily in the frequency and sophistication of attacks. Apart from the growing concerns about signature-less ransomware and ransomware-as-a-service, attackers also use artificial intelligence and machine learning to scale up attacks. To this end, many governments acknowledge the serious threat of industrial cybersecurity attacks and propose effective defense policies. However, a shortage of OT security expertise remains a critical issue that needs to be addressed. From an industry standpoint, critical infrastructures are no longer the only targets. Apolitical and financially motivated attacks are now common across all industries, increasingly prompting industry participants to strengthen their awareness in building an effective OT security posture. In addition to critical infrastructures (e.g., power) and the oil and gas sector, industries such as manufacturing, transportation, and logistics also present growth opportunities. While the power sector is ahead in cybermaturity and typically has a higher budget, sectors such as water are challenged with lower budget and resource shortages. North America, Europe, and the Middle East are the key regions in the industrial cybersecurity market, whereas Asia-Pacific countries such as Australia and New Zealand are now investing in industrial cybersecurity and implementing new regulations. The industrial cybersecurity market is pivoting toward convergence and creating an ecosystem of trust. Partnerships among companies from different backgrounds are common and will continue to increase. Offering comprehensive IT-OT security capabilities is important. Therefore, niche OT cybersecurity firms and companies providing standalone, point solutions will become acquisition targets. Robust acquisition activity in the market is also expected to continue. OT security vendors will play a larger role in preparing industrial organizations to deal with never-before-seen attacks and attack vectors.