Netskope Threat Labs has released its latest analysis, focusing on the use of cloud applications within the manufacturing industry. The report highlights the growing use of AI in business environments and the evolution of techniques employed by cyber attackers.
In the 2024 report, it is observed that the adoption of Microsoft OneDrive in the manufacturing sector has increased from 43% to 58%. However, its role in malware distribution has decreased, from 34% to 22%. On the other hand, although the top three applications for malicious downloads remain the same, the use of GitHub for malicious purposes has doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year.
«With today’s sophisticated attack methodologies, malware can be distributed in a variety of ways, whether it be a PDF file, a banking Trojan, or a infostealermaking it difficult for users to detect. Companies need to enforce strict policies that ensure the secure handling of their sensitive data and monitor cloud traffic regularly to detect malicious behavior,” explains Paolo Passeri, director of cyber intelligence at Netskope.
AI apps in the manufacturing industry
- Using Cloud Applications:
○ Employees in the manufacturing sector use an average of 24 cloud applications monthly, with OneDrive being the most widely used.
○ Microsoft Copilot has managed to position itself among the 10 most used applications in the sector, driven by the growing use of AI in business environments.
○ The manufacturing sector uses numerous applications for both personal and corporate use (e.g., Google Drive), which underscores the need to implement identity policies that protect sensitive data in different contexts.
The use of AI apps in the manufacturing industry is growing, as attackers diversify their attack methods against companies in the sector
- Misusing cloud applications to spread malware:
○ Approximately 50% of global malware downloads via HTTP/HTTPS come from popular cloud applications, while the remainder is distributed via other websites.
○ The most widely used apps globally are also those with the highest download rates, reflecting cybercriminal tactics, user behavior, and security policies.
○ In the manufacturing sector, OneDrive leads the ranking of applications used to distribute malware (22%), surpassing Sharepoint (10%) and GitHub (10%).
- Main types of malware:
○ The top five malware and ransomware threats targeting the manufacturing industry in the past 12 months are Downloader.Guloader, Infostealer.AgentTesla, Phishing.PhishingX, Trojan.Grandoreiro, and Trojan.RaspberryRobin.
