Global Exposure of 180,000 ICS/OT Devices Raises Safety Concerns

Bitsight’s report, cited by Hackread, warns that global exposure of ICS/OT devices rose ~12% in 2024 (from ~160,000 to ~180,000 exposed IPs) and could top 200,000; many devices run unprotected industrial protocols or factory-default settings and contain severe, often unpatched vulnerabilities (including CVE-2024-9140). The report notes active targeting by ICS-focused malware strains (FrostyGoop, Fuxnet) and urges vendors, ISPs, and operators to remove public access, apply secure defaults, and continuously monitor networks to prevent direct physical-safety impacts.