Home / Technology / ICS Phishing Skyrockets 33,000%!
ICS Phishing Skyrockets 33,000%!
18 Sep
Summary
- ICS phishing via calendar invites surges dramatically.
- Attacks bypass filters using RMM tools for compromise.
- Users must scrutinize invites and verify senders.
A staggering 33,000% increase in Industrial Control System (ICS) phishing attacks, utilizing calendar invites, is projected between May and September 2026. Cybersecurity experts highlight that this sophisticated attack method has reached mainstream adoption.
These attacks exploit free, legitimate services like Gmail to send malicious calendar invitations. This strategy effectively bypasses most email security filters, allowing for widespread dissemination at minimal cost. The dual exposure—in both the inbox and calendar—heightens the risk to unsuspecting users.
Within the calendar invite, a link typically directs victims to download compromised Remote Management and Monitoring (RMM) software, such as ScreenConnect. Once installed, this tool grants attackers control over the targeted endpoint, facilitating the deployment of secondary threats like infostealers or ransomware, alongside data theft and password harvesting.
