Removable USB media devices such as flash drives pose a significant – and intentional – cyber security threat to a wide array of industrial process control networks, according to Honeywell’s first-of-its-kind research study.

 

Data derived from Honeywell technology used to scan and control USB devices at 50 customer locations showed that nearly half (44 per cent) detected and blocked at least one file with a security issue. It also revealed that 26 per cent of the detected threats were capable of significant disruption by causing operators to lose visibility or control of their operations.

The threats targeted a wide variety of industrial sites, including refineries, chemical plants and pulp-and-paper manufacturers around the world, and the threats themselves ranged in severity – about one in six targeted industrial control systems or Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

 

“The data showed much more serious threats than we expected, and taken together, the results indicate that a number of these threats were targeted and intentional. This research confirms what we have suspected for years – USB threats are real for industrial operators. What is surprising is the scope and severity of the threats, many of which can lead to serious and dangerous situations at sites that handle industrial processes,” said Eric Knapp, Director of Strategic Innovation, Honeywell Industrial Cyber Security.