Organizations have long understood the importance of securing their supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks and industrial control systems (ICS) from outside threats.

In recent years, these systems have become increasingly interconnected with IT systems and IoT networks, enabling organizations to take advantage of greater automation and better data analytics. But these improvements make connected systems a bigger target for cybercriminals. Here are three measures organizations should take to assess — and improve — the security measures surrounding their SCADA systems.

In December 2015, more than 200,000 Ukrainians found themselves without power during a blackout cause by a cyberattack launched from within the Russian Federation. The attack was carried out by a spear-phishing campaign that was used to install malware on energy company computers. The malware, dubbed BlackEnergy, was specifically designed for use against industrial control…

Last year, nearly 40 percent of industrial control systems worldwide experienced attacks from external sources, according to a Kaspaersky analysis. That’s a sobering statistic, especially when coupled with evidence that cyberattacks were involved in crippling power outages in the Ukraine in late 2015. The following year, closer to home, U.S. cybersecurity officials accused Iran of…