Ransomware

Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts a victim's data or systems and demands payment for their release. In an OT/ICS context, ransomware is especially disruptive because it can force operators to shut down physical operations as a precaution, even when the ransomware itself only infected IT systems, since operators can't always be certain the OT network wasn't also affected. A well-known real-world example is the 2021 Colonial Pipeline incident, in which a ransomware attack on IT systems led the company to proactively halt pipeline operations.