<p>The Stuxnet worm is widely recognized as the first confirmed cyberattack designed to damage critical infrastructure. Discovered in 2010 but used as early as 2009, it targeted uranium enrichment systems at Iran’s Natanz Nuclear Facility, causing physical destruction of centrifuges.</p>
<p>Fast-forward to the post-IT/OT convergence boom of the mid- to late-2010s, and attacks on operational technology and critical infrastructure have become significantly more widespread and impactful, driven by increased <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/definition/IT-OT-convergence”>connectivity between IT and OT environments</a> that has expanded the attack surface and enabled attackers to infiltrate industrial systems through enterprise IT networks.</p>
<p>TXOne Networks, a cybersecurity company, reported that 96% of OT incidents in 2025 could be traced back to IT system compromises. Forescout, meanwhile, found that attacks on OT protocols increased by 84% in 2025 over the previous year, led by Modbus (57% of attacks) and Ethernet/IP (22%). Dragos reported a nearly 95% increase in the number of ransomware attacks in the same time frame, as well as a 49% increase in the number of ransomware gangs targeting industrial organizations.</p>
<p>Industrial and OT systems were targets before they were connected to the internet, and IT/OT convergence — despite its benefits — is making such systems systematically more accessible, visible and valuable for attackers.</p>
<p>This week’s featured news highlights the latest OT and critical infrastructure attacks and trends, as well as why the government is touting <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/zero-trust-model-zero-trust-network”>zero trust</a> as a solution to the problem.</p>
<section class=”section main-article-chapter” data-menu-title=”Lotus Wiper: Destructive cyberattack targets Venezuelan energy sector”>
<h2 class=”section-title”><i class=”icon” data-icon=”1″></i>Lotus Wiper: Destructive cyberattack targets Venezuelan energy sector</h2>
<p>In December 2025, Venezuela’s energy sector suffered a sophisticated cyberattack using Lotus Wiper malware, which employed <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/How-to-prevent-living-off-the-land-attacks”>living-off-the-land techniques</a> to destroy system data and disrupt operations.</p>
<p>The attack, analyzed by Kaspersky Lab, used batch scripts to coordinate network infiltration, disable defenses and delete critical files, leaving systems unrecoverable.</p>
<p>Experts noted this reflects a growing trend of nation-state actors using <a href=”https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/How-to-mitigate-wiper-malware”>wiper malware</a> as an effective cyber weapon against critical infrastructure, emphasizing the need for network segmentation and immutable backups to counter such threats.</p>
<p><a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/lotus-wiper-attack-targeted-venezuelan-energy-firms-utilities” rel=”noopener”><i>Read the full article by Robert Lemos on Dark Reading</i></a><i>.</i></p>
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<section class=”section main-article-chapter” data-menu-title=”Manufacturing remains most targeted by cyberattacks”>
<h2 class=”section-title”><i class=”icon” data-icon=”1″></i>Manufacturing remains most targeted by cyberattacks</h2>
<p>The manufacturing sector accounted for one in four cyberattacks in 2025, yet remains inadequately prepared to address cyberthreats, according to cybersecurity insurer Resilience.</p>
<p>Ransomware attacks on manufacturers surged 61% compared to 46% across all sectors, driven by low downtime tolerance and tight security budgets. Between March 2021 and February 2026, ransomware caused 90% of sector losses despite representing only 12% of claims by Resilience clients.</p>
<p><a href=”https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/manufacturing-cybersecurity-threats-resilience/818680/”><i>Read the full article by Eric Geller on Cybersecurity Dive</i></a><i>.</i></p>
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<section class=”section main-article-chapter” data-menu-title=”Critical infrastructure vendor Itron discloses network breach”>
<h2 class=”section-title”><i class=”icon” data-icon=”1″></i>Critical infrastructure vendor Itron discloses network breach</h2>
<p>Itron, a major supplier of smart meter devices for energy and water utilities, disclosed a cyberattack on its computer networks discovered April 13.</p>
<p>The Liberty Lake, Washington-based company, which serves over 7,700 utility providers across 100 countries, stated it remediated the unauthorized activ
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