“Hidden Assets:” The Shape Of Things To Come?

The series is fictitious, but could it possibly become a reality? Well, perhaps not according to the precise plot and format portrayed but what has become clearer in this early part of 2026 is that criminal interests and their illegal manoeuvres are becoming more sophisticated and invasive. The recently published, Year in Review OT/ICS Cybersecurity Report from Dragos regarding its principal findings in 2025 underlines:

“As the threats get more aggressive and infrastructure gets more complex, the gap between what adversaries can do and what defenders can see is widening. The operational tempo of adversaries now outpaces the detection capabilities of most defenders. Closing that gap is not a technology problem. It is a prioritisation and investment problem, and the window to address it is getting smaller.”

Dragos has a hard earnt view of operational technology (OT) cyber security and its latest, ninth, annual report speaks plainly about the fast-growing danger areas present today and the players behind them, building their respective capabilities with the help of increasingly sophisticated tools and approaches.

At a more grass roots level, the Through Transport Club also has a similar story to tell, highlighting in its recent report Freight Crime in Benelux Supply Chains, a shift away from opportunistic theft towards more structured and technology-facilitated criminal activity.

A key area of concern is cited by the TT Club as the use of AI and digital fraud tools. Criminal networks are noted to be using AI-generated credentials, forged documentation and deep-fake identities to impersonate bona fide logistics providers.

Further, major logistics nodes such as the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the Port of Rotterdam are cited as key centres for this sort of activity.

The report states: “The Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the second largest in Europe, is a hotspot for cargo-related crime, particularly drug trafficking. The port has become the top European entry point for cocaine, with traffickers employing a range of sophisticated methods to smuggle drugs.”

So, it is not quite yet a case of fiction becoming reality but given the increased leverage available to the criminal fraternity through new sophisticated instruments there is a need to be aware and to fight these new attacks at all critical levels, macro and micro.