Miners face rising threat of cyber-attacks

By Sonali Paul MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Miners are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyber-hacking as they slash costs, automate equipment, rely more on the internet, and run mines from hundreds of kilometers away, a survey of nearly 40 mining companies has found. Threats can come from criminals looking to make money from supply disruptions, rivals hunting business secrets, governments and state-owned firms looking for a leg up in contract talks, and political and anti-mining activists, according to a report by Ernst & Young. More than 40 percent of metals and mining companies in the survey experienced a rise in external threats over the past 12 months. "The big miners have more sophistication in their risk management systems and probably have already experienced some degree of hacking activity in the last couple of years.



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