The National Security Agency (NSA) released the Cybersecurity Advisory, “Stop Malicious Cyber Activity Against Connected Operational Technology.” The CSA details how to evaluate risks to systems and improve the security of connections between OT and enterprise networks. Information technology (IT) exploitation can serve as a pivot point for OT exploitation, so carefully evaluating the risk of connectivity between IT and OT systems is necessary to ensure unique cybersecurity requirements are met.

Researchers from the Counter Threat Unit (CTU) at Secureworks have discovered a possible link to China while examining how SolarWinds servers were used to deploy malware. According to Secureworks' new report, the authentication bypass vulnerability in SolarWinds Orion API, tracked as CVE-2020-10148, that can lead to remote execution of API commands, has been actively exploited by Spiral. When vulnerable servers are detected and exploited, a script capable of writing the SUPERNOVA web shell to disk is deployed using a PowerShell command.

In order to combat cybersecurity threats, the Biden administration and state governors across the country should immediately work to foster deeper relationships with the private sector. Tech and government certainly don’t always get along, but the threats we face now require a national effort that would rival the Space Race of the 1960s. This can be done through state and federal governments offering financial incentives to businesses that prioritize the development and integration of cybersecurity measures, amplified communication from the government concerning the importance of cybersecurity, as well as the potential bolstering of compliance standards to minimize threats and the negative impact of breaches.