Let’s say you’re an orange grower in Florida or a large dairy operation in Wisconsin. While these endeavors still depend on Mother Nature, a decidedly low-tech enterprise, the processes involved with the harvesting, marketing, and shipping of these products have largely been automated to allow greater efficiency and profitability. If these operations are interrupted for any reason, chaos ensues and markets feel the effects.

Now imagine you’re a global manufacturer of a commoditized resource like, say, aluminum. At the core of the operation, you still have to extract the aluminum oxide from the bauxite ore and then smelt that into metal, but unless you’re a backyard hobbyist—and chances are really good you’re not—you depend on automation and digitized processes to make the magic happen. If the bad guys were able to hijack your code and hold your data ransom, that could ruin your day, maybe even your week.

As reported in Security Week, a recent ransomware attack on Norsk Hydro allows us to witness such a scenario without taxing our imaginations. It is believed to be the first time a cyberattack has affected a global commodity like aluminum. The malicious code, named LockerGoga, has been used in similar attacks, but is relatively new to the ransomware landscape. Read all about the attack here.

The Great Disruptors

You’re probably not a global aluminum concern, and your products or services may not be commoditized, but how would it feel if your operation ground to a halt while you negotiated with terrorists?

At the very least, don’t make it easy for them. Get a fresh set of eyes and minds on your digital wherewithal. Call ICS, and let’s smelt you some peace of mind.