Manufacturing and industrial sectors are becoming bigger cyber-targets, and many of the intrusions are coming from China.

Those are among the sobering takeaways from a report Tuesday by Ontinue’s Advanced Threat Operations team in its biannual Threat Intelligence Report.

The two sectors endured a 105% increase in attacks during the first half of 2024, highlighting a “significant uptick in cyber operations originating from China,” the report concluded.

State-sponsored campaigns from China, assisted by that nation’s military and cyber reorganization, increasingly are focusing on zero-day exploits and information control to filch vital information.

“Organizations can no longer afford to be reactive when it comes to cybersecurity,” Craig Jones, vice president of security operations at Ontinue, said in an email. “This report highlights the critical need for businesses to stay ahead of emerging threats by leveraging real-time intelligence and enhancing their cybersecurity maturity.”

“Now, more than ever, organizations must take a proactive approach to strengthening their security postures,” Jones said in an email. “Partnering with a trusted managed security provider, leveraging real-time threat intelligence, and enhancing overall cybersecurity maturity through best practices are critical steps to stay ahead of these challenges and reduce risk.”

The report illustrated several other cybersecurity concerns. Among them:

A lag in patch adoption remains critical. Some 8,967 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures records were published in the first three months of this year, with another 13,400 pending. Yet many organizations are tardy in patch adoption, leaving them vulnerable to attacks that exploit known vulnerabilities. More unsettling, half of the top-10 trending vulnerabilities this year were also launched in 2023, pointing to the consistent challenge organizations face in keeping pace with emerging threats.

Ransomware is still a menace. Lockbit remains the most active ransomware group, evolving its tactics. Hunters International emerged this year, further intensifying the ransomware landscape. Clop, despite its temporary decline, is expected to stage a comeback later this year, Ontinue’s experts warned.

Emerging threats. The report identified emerging threats for organizations to monitor closely, including the rise of LOLSites, which exploit Microsoft-owned domains to bypass security controls, and compromised SharePoint sites being used for phishing. Meanwhile, Infostealers such as Raccoon Stealer and the PlugX RAT pose significant risks, especially for government agencies and critical infrastructure, according to the report.

While digital attacks on manufacturing and industrial businesses accounted for 41% of cyber incidents in the first six months this year, there was a noticeable decline in attacks on the technology/IT services sector, which benefitted from improved cybersecurity defenses.

The threat to manufacturing and industrial sectors comes amid an explosion in the chatbot market. Worldwide sales of that market are projected to grow to $15.5 billion by 2028 as the technology spreads throughout the U.S., Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa.