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Do you show up on Shodan? The risks of internet-exposed OT to local governments

Published

2 September 2026

Topic

technology

Sectors

Cybersecurity

Geography

United States

Source

Read at ibm.com

Verified

Fusion42 · 2 September 2026 · Fusion42 review

Operational Technology (OT) used by local governments is often exposed to the internet and discoverable via the Shodan search engine, creating significant security risks. This exposure enables adversaries to perform reconnaissance uninhibited, potentially leading to operational disruptions through weakly secured protocols like Modbus/TCP and third-party remote access pathways.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Cybersecurity.

◆ The Wire takeaway

Local government OT infrastructure is openly visible online and vulnerable; you must audit your internet exposure immediately to prevent attackers from entering through overlooked remote access points or legacy protocols.

Coverage

1 source · 2 Sep 2026

Related on Wire

Topics

Cybersecurityot-securityshodanlocal-governmentremote-accessmodbus-tcp