Just a few months ago , Canadian Copper Mountain Company was the target of a ransomware attack , prompting mill shutdowns . This followed a cyberattack against Aurubis , the world ’ s second-largest copper producer , which saw the shutdown of the company ’ s integral IT systems . Aurubis stated that this was “ part of a larger attack on the mining and metals industry ”.

Those within the mining sector have several ways in which to enhance their digital defences , such as hiring outside professionals or upgrading their own identification and evaluation of potential risk .

The question is , will this prove sufficient enough to outpace cybercriminals , given the measured pace of the cybersecurity industry ?

A modern day shakedown Described as the “ modern equivalent to an old-fashioned mafia shakedown ” by Paul Gogarty , Cybersecurity Business Lead at ABB , the major cybersecurity threat facing the mining sector is criminal extortion .

“ Cybercriminals have turned to the industry as a new revenue stream , targeting industrial systems with the sole purpose of extorting money in exchange for not disrupting operations . Cybercriminals commonly use ransomware to lock out critical systems , rendering them inoperable until a ransom fee is paid to unlock them .

“ In other cases , the cybercriminals will target a piece of critical equipment with a Denial of Service ( DoS ) attack , sending

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