Over 4,400 Rockwell PLCs Exposed Online, 22 Found in Water Attack Cities
Summary
Forescout discovered over 4,400 Rockwell Automation programmable logic controllers (PLCs) exposed online globally, with 2,844 in the United States. Notably, 22 of these exposed PLCs were found in cities that have recently experienced cyberattacks on their water utilities, with 19 of them utilizing the same mobile carrier network.
IFF Assessment
The article highlights the exposure of critical industrial control systems, increasing the attack surface for potentially devastating cyberattacks.
Defender Context
This discovery underscores a significant vulnerability in operational technology (OT) environments, particularly within critical infrastructure like water utilities. Defenders should prioritize identifying and securing exposed PLCs, implementing network segmentation, and rigorously patching or mitigating any identified vulnerabilities in ICS/SCADA systems.