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Mining

We provide committed and comprehensive cyber security services to secure the mining and minerals sector

The mining industry has become a lucrative target for modern cyber attackers

With the world’s heavy reliance on natural resources for economic development and the need for nations to stay competitive in international markets, it is no wonder why mining is increasingly attacked

Mining companies are not only pivotal players in natural defence but are the very lifeblood of some economies. This is true for countries like Australia, where our main exports are dominated by mineral products and metals. In exploiting mining companies, cyber criminals are able to enact major disruption across global supply chains and exfiltrate masses of data for future financial gain and competitive advantage. 

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Top threats to the mining industry

Below are just some of the most concerning cyber threats to the mining industry:

Cyber Espionage

Mining companies are largely targeted by cyber espionage campaigns because they are continuously generating data that competitors and nation-states want to steal. Cybercriminals may execute spyware and other espionage techniques in order to gather information, gain competitive advantage, hijack sales and mergers.

Supply Chain Risks

Attackers may leverage successful attacks on third-parties to gain a backdoor into the mine’s corporate network. Third-parties, such as contractors, may increase the threat surface with poor security behaviours. For example, a connected contractor may allow a virus to migrate into the mine environment and shutdown OT control systems.

Phishing

This is the leading source of malicious attacks across industries, with credential compromise as the ultimate goal. These emails typically contain malware disguised as a link or attachment. In the mining industry, phishing emails are sent with the intent to first gain a foothold into the corporate network and subsequently, the mining operations.

The Content Security approach 

At Content Security, we understand the unique challenges that mining companies face in today’s threat landscape. We also understand the critical, proactive role we must play in protecting this geopolitical and economic target

Our team of security specialists has a wealth of industry expertise, with over 20 years of experience in information security and involvement with a variety of mining and minerals companies. We are a trusted cyber security consultant across a wide range of industries, securing the integrity, confidentiality and availability of our clients’ systems and services.

We provide mining companies with the necessary, local Australian skills to secure their strategic position within global supply chains. We assist with navigating digital transformation, minimising disruption and eliminating cyber threats. 

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What we do 

Some of the services we provide include:

Identity and Access Management

The average person regularly uses passwords to 27 systems. Within an organisation, they also change roles multiple times while abandoning applications they no longer need. Sometimes they leave and there may be some accounts not disabled. Before long, an organisation has lost visibility of the access they are granting, and the ‘principle of least privilege’ is a distant dream.

Active Defence

Active Defence revolves around continuous and proactive threat hunting. It's a fully managed, people-centric service involving the constant pursuit of advanced adversaries. Our team of professionals conducts full threat validation, investigation, containment and remediation of actual breaches that have evaded the mining operations and corporate security controls.

Penetration Testing

Ethical hacking is our passion. During penetration tests our experts simulate real attacks on your environment to disclose hidden weaknesses that real attackers seek to exploit. We then provide a prioritised and actionable report with recommendations for improvement. This is a vital part of staying on top of evolving threat and we also offer more in-depth red teaming services.

Incident Response and Forensics

Incident Response (IR) is crucial for reducing response time and minimising any financial, operational, compliance and reputational costs associated with a data breach. We offer multiple tiers of IR retainer packages to provide assistance 24x7 and help mining companies contain incidents, as well as protect confidential company and staff data.

Security Awareness Training

Developing basic cyber security awareness works in conjunction with your technological security investments. We provide a range of easy and motivating security awareness training, with interactive conditioning and regular reporting to benchmark staff improvement. We also have a Managed Cybersecurity Awareness Program (MCAP).

Third-Party & Supplier Audits

For the mining industry, increased regulatory scrutiny, continuing cost pressures, active investors, and a vigilant public put pressure on mitigating supply chain risk. By proactively addressing third-party issues, we can assist mining companies with reducing their overall exposure to risk while achieving stronger relationships with service providers.

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