Construction sector is ‘most targeted industry by cybercriminals’

Analysis conducted by cybersecurity solution provider CovertSwarm’s Offensive Operations Centre has shown that the construction sector has now become the most targeted industry by cybercriminals.

CovertSwarm added that ransomware attacks have grown over the last 12 months (Photo: AdobeStock)

More specifically, CovertSwarm added that ransomware attacks have grown over the last 12 months, with nearly half of construction companies experiencing a ransomware attack, as it continues to play catch up after years of not upgrading inefficient IT and security equipment.

According to the analysis, reliance on Internet of Things (IoT) devices, as well as a lack of preparedness - with nearly three-quarters of businesses admitting to not having incident response plans in place - have also contributed to the cyber threat’s heightened presence.

Anders Reeves, CEO at CovertSwarm, said, “The construction sector is in a critical position right now and its importance - globally - means it has got a target on its back. In an industry that has only relatively recently embraced digital workflow and record-keeping as part of the so-called Golden Thread of information, cyber security feels like an afterthought. There’s so much else to get to grips with.

“But the wealth of confidential data and information used and stored – as well as cybercriminals being aware of the industry’s under-protected stance on cyber security – means it is an increasingly appealing target.

To help combat this, CovertSwarm has announced the rollout of its system Offensive Operations Centre (OOC) to allow companies to respond to the significant rise in cyber attacks.

CovertSwarm says that the OOC is a centralised SaaS portal that manages every aspect of an organisation’s offensive security program. It also provides an all-in-one toolset that offers free and premium-level insights into attacks.

This approach bridges the gap between Attack Surface Management products, SaaS-identified vulnerabilities, and risk validation via CovertSwarm’s in-house red team. Through a simple ‘one-click’ submission, organisations can request ethical hacker testing and targeted red team attacks, enhancing security measures and simplifying the cyber risk lifecycle.