Page 8 - Cybersecurity Career Guide for North Dakota

what is cybersecurity?
Any device connected to the internet is vulnerable to cyberattacks.
So, how many devices are connected to the internet?
21.5 billion
This number is set to explode in the coming years as internet consumption rises and new gadgets and machinery hit the market.
Defending Our Food Supply
The world’s largest meat processor, Brazil-based JBS, announced in June 2021 that an attack earlier in the spring had targeted its computer networks in Australia and North America. The attack forced it to shut down production plants, including all its beef facilities in the U.S., which process nearly a quarter of the country’s supply. The news sparked worries of a rise in meat prices, already high due to the pandemic. In the end, JBS said that it lost less than
a day’s worth of food production during the shutdown. The company later confirmed it had paid the equivalent of $11 million in bitcoin to the attackers, whom the FBI believes to be Russia-based ransomware outfit REvil.
SOURCE: STATISTA
Cost of cyber crimes in the U.S. in 2021:
$6.9 billion
SOURCE: FBI
Protecting Our Drinking Water
Several states issued alerts to water systems in early 2021 after an incident in Oldsmar, Florida, in which a hacker attempted to raise the level of sodium hydroxide—used to remove metals and control acidity in drinking water—to poisonous levels. The compound, also known as lye, is the main ingredient in liquid drain cleaner and can cause severe damage to the respiratory and digestive system. The hack came to light in real time as the system’s plant operator noticed the cursor on his computer moving around on its own. He swiftly undid the changes. The breach came on the heels of an intrusion into a San Francisco Bay Area plant by a hacker using a former employee’s login to delete programs used to treat water.
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