The findings of Fortinet 2019 Operational Technology Security Trends Report, analyzing data gathered from millions of Fortinet devices to discern the state of cybersecurity for supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and other industrial control systems (ICS), found many attacks on OT systems that seems to target older devices running unpatched software. It indicated that OT networks are increasingly being targeted by IT-based legacy attacks that are no longer effective against IT networks. The report also highlights a rise in purpose-built OT attacks designed to target SCADA and ICS systems. The majority of these attacks tend to target the weakest parts of OT networks often taking advantage of the complexities caused by a lack of protocol standardization and a sort of implicit trust that seems to permeate many OT environments. This trend is not limited to specific sectors as threat actors targeting OT environments did not discriminate according to industry or geography, as every vertical and region saw a significant rise in attacks. Key findings from the Fortinet 2019 Operational Technology Security Trends Report: Exploits increased in volume and prevalence in 2018 for almost every ICS/ SCADA vendor. In addition to the recycled IT attacks being thrown at unpatched or non-updated OT devices, 85% of unique threats detected targeted machines running OPC Classic, BACnet and Modbus. Cybercriminals targeted devices by exploiting the wide variety of OT protocols in place – many of which are specific to functions, industries and geographies. Due to the prevalence of legacy protocols and the slow replacement cycle for OT systems to deploy new architecture cybercriminals have actively attempted to capitalize by targeting the weak links in each protocol. These structural problems are exacerbated by the lack of standard protections and poor security hygiene practiced with many OT systems. Custom OT attacks are also on the rise. Malware targeting ICS and SCADA systems have been developed and deployed for a decade or longer. Attacks specifically designed for OT systems seem to be on the rise, with safety systems increasingly a target. A handful of OT-based attacks over the past decade have managed to make headlines, including Stuxnet, Havex, BlackEnergy and Industroyer. Most recently, Triton/ Trisis targeted safety instrumented system (SIS) controllers which is the first true cyber-physical attack on OT systems. Ransomware continues to attack OT systems: As of late 2018, ransomware attacks on IT systems have declined and many threat actors appear to have ‘moved on’ to other types of attacks like cryptojacking. However, cybercriminals tend to recycle existing malware to attack OT systems. This may suggest that ransomware will be a bigger threat for OT systems than for IT ones in the near term. Attacks on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and electrical grids are more likely to occur when these systems are operating at peak usage – most often during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer months. The age of an OT system is also a factor, with adversaries tending to target older technology more frequently than newer. As OT systems become more connected, the trend of increased attacks seems likely to continue. This new exposure requires organizations to adhere to more rigorous security operations and life-cycle management best practices to protect their organizations from major threats to the core of their business. As a result, OT and IT teams need to come together to respond comprehensively to increasing threats. Michael Joseph, Director System Engineering, India & SAARC at Fortinet said, “Malicious actors are able to extract maximum value from each new threat they develop by exploiting unprotected OT systems and vulnerabilities that persist in both older and newer networks and technologies. IT integration and convergence due to digital transformation efforts will continue to pressure this situation further. The best way to counter this new reality is by adopting and implementing a comprehensive strategic approach that simplifies the solution and involves IT and OT experts throughout an entire organisation.”  

IDEMIA is the first and, to date, only one to be certified to manufacture and personalise RuPay chip contact and contactless cards, on the qSPARC v2 platform. “This certification recognizes IDEMIA’s commitment to continually invest in the development of technologies for enhancing and securing the payment experience for Indians and establishes once again our leadership in this space. This qSPARC certification will increase the usability of bank issued cards with an enhanced value proposition for all stakeholders” – Sanjeev Shriya Regional President for IDEMIA’s Activities in India qSPARC is a dual interface open loop payment specification, with the option of loading multiple payment applications on a single card. This certification is issued by NPCI, after testing all payment scenarios and thus ensuring that the cards manufactured by IDEMIA will work seamlessly at all payment acceptance devices. The cardholders get the convenience of using a single card for multiple payment use cases such as metro, bus, toll, loyalty, parking and payments at retail. There is an option of loading up to 20 such payment applications on a single card. The qSPARC is likely to steer the national common mobility card (NCMC) and will be widely used in the smart cities. The first version of this card is deployed in kochi metro, Bangalore bus transport, Ahmedabad smart city, and will soon be delivered to prospective customers in Nagpur, Noida metro and Navi Mumbai bus transport ticketing. As of now, more than 1.5 million cards have been issued.  

Matrix Professional Series IP bullet cameras are built using superior components such as Sony STARVIS sensor and higher MTF lens to offer unmatched image quality especially during low light conditions. Powered by true WDR algorithm, these cameras offer consistent image quality even in highly varying lighting conditions. Built-in intelligent analytics including intrusion detection, trip wire etc., they ensure real-time security. Moreover, H.265 compression and automatic motion based frame rate reduction save bandwidth and storage up to 50%. The series features wider 56° horizontal field of view, adaptive streaming to record more frames during motion, less during no motion. They are ideal for special applications such as parking management and other outdoor applications.  

Grandstream has appointed Savex Technologies Pvt. Ltd. as a distributor of its wireless networking and unified communications solutions in India. Customers throughout India can now purchase Grandstream Networks’ award-winning solutions from Savex Technologies, which have been connecting the world since 2002 and include a comprehensive, feature-rich range of SIP handsets and Wi-Fi access points. “This distribution agreement with Savex Technologies signals the start of an exciting time for resellers in India and for Grandstream,” said Ajeet Singh, Country Sales Manager, India for Grandstream, “There’s a huge opportunity for growth and profit for our partners in the mid-market, but that opportunity is all too-often overlooked with vendors focusing on larger enterprise customers or providing solutions that don’t deliver the scalability, resiliency and flexibility the mid-market businesses are looking for. Together with Savex Technologies and their solid reseller support capabilities, geographical reach, years of competency, expertise and market knowledge, we can more effectively reach the channel, enabling resellers to leverage our on-premise and cloud-based Unified Communication solutions and create offerings that meet today’s digital business needs. We look forward to growing the market and technology landscape by serving our valued channel partners in India.” Savex and Grandstream both strive to deliver Wi-Fi networking solutions and feature-rich unified communication solutions that are easy and attainable to businesses of all sizes, and this partnership offers a cost-effective solution that is easy to deploy and includes high-end features to resellers throughout India. “We are pleased to collaborate with Grandstream and showcase its product and services to our reseller base,” said Anil Jagasia, Founder and Chairman of Savex Technologies Pvt Ltd., “The Grandstream portfolio will enhance our capabilities and enable us to deliver its technology to our reseller base, ultimately supporting our mutual customers and helping to ensure success in this fast-growing market.”