Operational Technology Cybersecurity refers to the software, hardware, practices and personnel employed to safeguard operational technology infrastructure, people and data from malicious attacks or intrusions.
OT cybersecurity differs from IT security in several key ways.
IT security focuses on information confidentiality and integrity, while operational technology (OT) prioritizes safety and availability.
Security Priorities
The United States government and private companies alike must step up their cybersecurity initiatives to safeguard the nation against malicious cyberattacks. These attacks can cause widespread disruptions to critical infrastructure, such as power outages, loss of sensitive data, and nightmare scenarios involving water supply systems, petrochemical installations, nuclear power plants, and transportation infrastructure systems.
To keep the United States secure from cyberattacks, the government must ensure it adheres to current regulatory standards and has an established security maintenance program. In particular, federal agencies must implement and adhere to security maintenance rules and practices for their networks such as software patch management and whitelisting.
OT cybersecurity presents more challenges than IT cybersecurity due to the myriad of networked technologies and devices used in critical facilities. A holistic approach is required, with emphasis on a risk-based security model.
The top security priorities in OT cybersecurity are safety, availability, integrity and information confidentiality. While safety and availability can be compromised by a nation-state attack, it’s the other two which are more likely to cause substantial harm to people or property.
Aside from the CIA triad, other cybersecurity priorities in OT include authentication, authorization, access control and network monitoring. These measures guarantee that users on a network have permission to access data when they require it.
These cybersecurity measures are imperative, but should be part of a more comprehensive security program that incorporates traditional physical security and disaster recovery measures. This includes implementing appropriate protocols like a hardened firewall or VPN.
In addition to a centralized security policy, it is essential to create an internal awareness program that educates employees about cyber threats and how to respond accordingly. Doing this will give them insight into what to look out for, how to recognize an attack, and how best to manage their response quickly and efficiently.
Furthermore, conducting penetration tests and red team exercises regularly is essential to identify more diverse vulnerabilities and attack vectors that hackers could utilize to breach ICS networks’ security.
Life Cycles
The operational technology (OT) cybersecurity life cycle is a series of steps designed to safeguard an organization’s physical assets and IT systems from security breaches. OT cybersecurity plays a significant role in industrial and critical infrastructure security, as well as for meeting regulatory obligations.
Traditionally, OT environments were shielded by an “air gap” from IT networks and the public internet; this created a difficult-to-access barrier for attackers. However, with the advent of Industry 4.0’s IT-OT convergence, there now exists a more complex environment to protect OT environments and their resources from cyber attacks.
Organizations who want to protect an OT network effectively must first understand the full extent of their resources and how they are connected. Without this understanding, organizations won’t know how to properly secure the OT network or meet regulatory standards.
As OT networks and ICS systems become more interconnected, it is increasingly important for OT owners to implement a network segmentation strategy in order to protect their valuable resources. Doing so allows them to isolate OT devices from the IT network and guarantee that only authorized personnel have access to these ICS assets.
Deploying a firewall that can inspect OT traffic for potentially malicious content or commands allows organizations to enforce ICS access control policies and block hackers from exploiting various vulnerabilities. As more cyber-physical systems such as robotics and sensors have been integrated into the OT landscape, this has increased the attack surface and presented additional obstacles for those responsible for maintaining safe operations in the field.
In addition to installing a firewall, OT owners can also strengthen their overall security posture by deploying threat prevention. This is an essential step in the operational technology cybersecurity life cycle as it shields OT systems from malware infections and other risks that could otherwise cause significant harm to production lines or facilities.
Threat prevention tools are useful in detecting potential attacks, but they may also produce false positives. This could leave an OT system with malware that is not malicious and impact its availability, thus making it essential for OT owners to implement a strong threat prevention strategy.
Convergence
Convergence is the integration of two or more distinct technologies into a single system, enabling users to perform multiple tasks with one device, saving time, providing convenience, saving space and potentially being less costly.
The technology world is filled with examples of convergence. Smartphones, for instance, combine several standalone technologies to enable people to make phone calls, take photos, send emails, listen to music and watch videos – and much more. Similarly, the Internet of Things (IoT) brings together wireless devices that can be used to operate physical systems such as cars and appliances remotely.
Cybersecurity of operational technology is a highly technical field that necessitates the expertise of people from different backgrounds and skills sets. This includes IT and OT professionals as well as business stakeholders from both sides of the equation.
For too long, IT and OT environments have existed as distinct domains with little to no shared data or control. This has created challenges for IT security teams when it comes to adequately protecting OT infrastructures.
Today, the IT-OT convergence has advanced at an alarming rate with the adoption of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). This increased integration between devices and their wider IT infrastructure as well as their capacity for monitoring more data have significantly widened OT owners’ exposure to risk.
In such a scenario, security models can assist organizations in recognizing attack paths and potential risks. By mapping operational functionality interrelationships, security teams gain insight into what information could be stolen and where a breach may take place.
Therefore, companies must develop risk management processes that take into account the full cybersecurity lifecycle and not just individual layers of protection. Doing this will guarantee the advantages of convergence are realized while mitigating any potential threats to people or businesses within an organization.
Manage the convergence of OT and IT requires IT security professionals and OT personnel to work in close partnership. This alignment must be based on an appreciation for each team’s distinct skillsets, responsibilities, as well as how these groups can most effectively communicate and collaborate.
Integration
Cyberattacks on operational technology (OT) have become a serious threat to industrial environments and critical infrastructure. Hackers now target infecting OT equipment with malware or ransomware, effectively shutting them down until payment is received from the attacker.
Integration of operational technology cybersecurity and related technologies is essential to safeguard OT assets and systems from cyberattack. This involves connecting IT software and hardware with operational systems in order to build a network that can protect both.
On-the-shelf (OT) networks consist of control systems, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, as well as distributed control systems (DCS). These are used for managing a range of processes in OT, from oil & gas pipelines to industrial robots.
Connecting IT software with operational technology (OT) systems allows for operational improvement. For instance, data from a point-of-sale system could be linked to CRM software so customer interaction can be automated with personalized recommendations.
Integrating OT and IT systems has its advantages, but can also present security risks. When data moves between applications during integration, encryption may be required; additionally, employees who access these integrated systems on personal cloud-based devices require extra precautions for their own protection.
For effective OT and IT security, networks must be segmented and traffic analysed. Segmented networks reduce potential attack paths and enable rapid detection of intrusions. In addition, identity/access management, wired/wireless access control, as well as traffic analysis can proactively prevent attacks against OT networks.
To prevent breaches, OT networks must be constantly monitored for signs of an attempted attack. Constructing a virtual map of the OT/IT system allows users to track any changes in the network and identify weak points which could serve as entry points for malicious actors.
Radiflow’s risk analysis platform helps organizations identify the likelihood of an attack on their networked assets and quantitatively assess its impact. This helps CISOs prioritize mitigation measures. By calculating the ROI for each measure, they can decide which security controls will be most cost-effective while still meeting their goals.
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