HP’s 2012 Cyber Risk Report sketches out the vulnerability landscape from industrial data to web and mobile risks. The 23 page report offers ‘actionable security’ that organizations need along with best practices to minimize security risk. The Open source vulnerability database and other studies show declines from 23% in 2011 to 20% in 2012. Still, one in five vulnerabilities could allow attackers to gain control of a target. While vulnerabilities are on the decline, they still pose a threat. Even mature technologies can pose a threat, witness the recent Department of Homeland Security recommendation that the Oracle Java SE platform should be disabled in Web browsers. In the control system space, SCADA vulnerabilities are up from 22 in 2008 to 191 in 2012. Mobile platforms likewise represent a major growth area for vulnerabilities.
A special edition of Cyber Magazine offers a warm up to IDGA’s upcoming oil and gas cyber security event in Houston next September. Badger Group’s Paul Williams writes on cyber risks to Gulf of Mexico joint ventures and the impact of the White House’s recent cyber security executive order.
DNV’s Kema unit reports that the energy sector in the Middle East is particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks where threat awareness is ‘insufficient.’ Governments need to coherent cyber security strategies. Regional MD Mohammed Atif said, ‘This is a situation to worry about, a cyber-attack on energy supplies and routes in the region would impact the entire world.’ More from DNV/Kema.
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