𝗪𝗵𝘆 "𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗦𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻" 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 "𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸" 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

The NCSC has just issued a fresh alert regarding Russian-aligned hacktivists, and it carries a warning that caught my eye: a shifting focus toward 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 (𝗢𝗧). https://lnkd.in/eSfsFHPB

For a long time, hacktivist groups like NoName057(16) were seen as a digital nuisance, primarily engaging in DDoS attacks that knocked a council website offline for an afternoon. It was frustrating, but it didn't stop the "gears" from turning.

That’s changing. These groups are now looking for unsecured VNC connections, the 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 windows into our water pumps, power grids, and factory floors.

The NCSC’s "Secure Connectivity Principles" (released last week https://lnkd.in/eJFuWE8H) makes it clear: we can no longer treat OT as a "disconnected" island. As we bridge the gap between IT and OT for better efficiency, we’re also bridging the gap for attackers who don't need a massive budget to cause a safety incident; they just need one exposed port.

𝗔𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀, 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿. As an NCSC-assured consultancy, we help organisations move past the "alert" stage and into active resilience. My three takeaways for anyone managing critical infrastructure right now:

𝟭. 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: You can't protect what you can't see. Most OT breaches start because of a "forgotten" remote access tool used by a third-party vendor.

𝟮. 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: We need to plan for how services stay alive when the main network is under fire. Uptime isn't just a technical metric; it's a safety requirement.

𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻" 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿: These attacks are ideologically driven, not financial. They aren't looking for a payout; they’re looking for a headline.

If you’re in the UK public sector or CNI, this isn't just another alert to file away. It’s a prompt to audit those remote connections before someone else does.

For organisations navigating this shift, the challenge is not understanding that change is happening; it is knowing where to start, how to prioritise, and how to bring suppliers and partners along with you. This is where Methods can provide practical, outcome-driven cyber resilience consultancy - so please get in touch https://www.methods.co.uk/