Hackers Target Mining Companies to Steal Data, Study Shows

Hackers are increasingly targeting mining companies to steal confidential data and disrupt their operations, according to Ernst & Young. The company ran a study that showed almost half of the mining companies surveyed are exposed to hacking.

The explanation behind the rising number of external threats and cyber-attacks is that the metals industry is becoming more dependent on Internet-connected systems to reduce costs and modernize its systems.

The operations systems are becoming “inherently less secure, as many old systems were not developed with security in mind,” the report concluded.

Of the 39 mining companies that answered the Global Information Security Survey, 41 percent said they were facing multiple security threats, including cyber-incidents. The survey also revealed that safety systems and sensors are increasingly linked to the Internet, which creates security breaches.

“They don’t see themselves like consumer organizations that hold large amounts of credit card details,” said Mike Elliott, global mining and metals leader for Ernst and Young, as quoted by PC World. “They’re not like a financial institution sitting on large amounts of cash and security. Hence they think they’re not really a target.”

Security experts have been warning for several years that hackers will increasingly target industrial systems connected to the Internet if security isn`t taken seriously.