Report: Hackers target logistics

Cybersecurity threats are on the rise across the consumer and business-to-business sectors, and the logistics industry is a prime target, according to research from testing and certification firm TÜV Rheinland, released earlier this month.

The research is part of TÜV Rheinland's 7th annual report on cybersecurity trends, which reveals the growing threat of cyberattacks to society at large and lists seven trends to watch in 2020. The rise of digitalization is at the heart of the matter, the researchers said.

"From our point of view, it is particularly serious that cybercrime is increasingly affecting our personal security and the stability of society as a whole," explains Petr Láhner, executive vice president of industry service and cybersecurity at TÜV Rheinland. "One of the reasons for this is that digital systems are finding their way into more and more areas of our daily lives. Digitalization offers many advantages—but it is important that these systems and thus, the people, are safe from attacks."

Threats to smart supply chains and the ocean shipping sector are among seven key trends security experts say are on the rise in 2020. They say hackers are targeting smart supply chains—which leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) automation, robotics, and big data management—to manipulate finance, inventory, and other processes. On the shipping side, they say increasing digitalization has left ocean transport and port logistics vulnerable to attacks, as well, making "monitoring and understanding a key factor in modern maritime cybersecurity."

The other five cybersecurity trends to watch in 2020 include: uncontrolled access to personal data, which is leaving society at large vulnerable to attacks; a rise in smart consumer devices that are vulnerable to attack; a rise in personal medical devices that are also vulnerable to attack; risks to the "connected" vehicle and transport infrastructure; and the vulnerability of real-time operating systems.

The report is available via TÜV Rheinland's website.