The National Motor Freight Traffic Association recently held a two-day discussion focusing on the cybersecurity threats confronting the truck transportation industry. Cybersecurity experts joined freight transportation insiders to identify vulnerabilities and offer data security solutions.
“I will tell you, folks, just by and large, regardless of what sector you’re in, we are seeing all kinds of attacks that are occurring,” Texas Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency coordinator Ernesto Ballesteros reportedly said. “Ransomware is probably the biggest one out there in the public sphere.”
Although ransomware attacks have proven a thorn in the side of wide-reaching sectors, the way the malicious applications are deployed should give owner-operators, fleet managers, and hourly-wage truckers reason for pause. Ransomware, spyware, Trojans, and other household name hacking tools are typically deployed through email and text messaging. While the average trucker may not have the wealth to pay a $100 million ransomware demand, garden variety hackers are willing to rack up credit cards and drain bank accounts. These are common cybercrime practices truckers need to know.
Phishing Schemes
The word “phishing” resembles the word anglers use because the two are similar. Hackers send out thousands of emails or text messages that attempt to get someone to click on a malicious link or download a malware-laced file. Once that occurs, the device becomes infected, and hackers can gain access to your sensitive data and financial information.
Social Engineering
This method is generally reserved for cybercriminals who possess some level of sophistication. It involves trolling social media profiles and networking platforms such as LinkedIn to gather intelligence. Hackers can learn about birthdays, family members, friends, spouses, and other pertinent information. Then, they use it to get you or someone in your orbit to make a mistake. Scams range from asking for money transfers and credit card numbers to providing a company username and password.
Zero Day Attacks
It may seem almost counterintuitive to think a cyber attack called “zero day” would have anything to do with working truckers. Truth be told, zero day attacks are orchestrated by hackers who find a vulnerability in unsecured and outdated software.
For instance, when a Microsoft product reaches its end date, that means the company will no longer send updates. These updates help prevent hackers from getting into your digital wallet. A zero day attack may involve releasing a malicious code that infects tens of thousands of devices that didn’t purge the application. It could just as easily be a truck driver’s phone as Elon Musk’s.
Source:
https://www.ttnews.com/articles/trucking-cyberattack-risk
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