A new report from Cyble notes that hacktivist attacks targeting critical infrastructure grew significantly in Q3 2025, accounting for 25% of all hacktivist activity by September. Groups are moving beyond simple DDoS and defacements to target Industrial Control Systems (ICS).
Business Impact
This trend poses a direct threat to public safety and national security. Unlike financially motivated attacks, hacktivists aim for disruption and political impact, making them more likely to tamper with processes at water utilities, energy grids, and manufacturing plants, as seen in Canada this week.
Why It Happened
The primary cause is the continued exposure of internet-facing ICS and OT assets. Politically motivated groups are scanning for and exploiting these unsecured devices to make high-profile statements.
Recommended Executive Action
This reinforces the urgency of auditing all OT/ICS environments. Mandate that no industrial control systems are publicly accessible. All remote access must be secured behind a firewall and require multi-factor authentication. Network segmentation between IT and OT is non-negotiable.
Hashtags: #Hacktivism #OTSecurity #ICSSecurity #CriticalInfrastructure #CyberAttack #InfoSec #CyberRisk