Defend Your Business: Uncovering OT Security In Cybersecurity
By Tom Seest
Are Your Operational Technology Systems Protected In Your Business?
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Cyberattacks against OT systems are on the rise, impacting businesses across industries. These attacks can cause system outage and loss of profits.
OT cybersecurity is a critical element of safeguarding networks and infrastructure that support critical business functions. It requires distinct priorities from IT cybersecurity, as well as differences in how it’s implemented.
Are Your Operational Technology Systems Protected In Your Business?
Table Of Contents
Are Your OT Systems Meeting the Demands of Cybersecurity?
OT systems are essential components of many industries, such as energy and utilities, transportation, and manufacturing. They play a pivotal role in the operation of these organizations and could be vulnerable to cyber threats if not safeguarded properly.
When creating their cyber strategy, CISOs should take into account their organization’s operational cybersecurity needs. A robust OT security program can help CISOs safeguard against numerous threats and vulnerabilities that could otherwise negatively impact their organization.
IT cybersecurity primarily addresses information technology and enterprise-level equipment, while OT cybersecurity mainly concerns production-level equipment used to manage physical products. Therefore, OT cybersecurity has its own distinct priorities and objectives.
Control is the most crucial objective of OT cybersecurity, as it ensures secure and uninterrupted operation of systems. This is especially true for critical infrastructure which must remain accessible at all times to guarantee staff and consumer safety.
Even the best OT security solutions can be breached by human error. For instance, if an employee neglects to monitor OT systems or fails to adhere to standard protocols, hackers can take advantage of these errors and exploit them as a way into your system.
An OT cyberattack can have a variety of outcomes, such as physical damage or disruption to essential services. If an OT cyberattack impacts the operations of a power plant, for instance, it could cause blackouts and disrupt electricity flow. Conversely, if it affects water treatment processes, contaminants could contaminate drinking water supplies – leading to serious health and financial repercussions.
To guarantee the security of OT networks, CISOs should implement best practices like network segmentation and traffic analysis to detect threats quickly and reduce breaches. They also need to implement identity and access management as well as wired and wireless access control measures in order to block unauthorized users from accessing their system.
CISOs should collaborate with an OT cybersecurity vendor to craft a plan that addresses the unique vulnerabilities of industrial systems and networks. The vendor should offer solutions that shield OT networks from cyberattacks in real-time, as well as provide data and analytics to help organizations comprehend their security risks.
Are Your OT Systems Meeting the Demands of Cybersecurity?
Is Your OT System at Risk of Malware Attacks?
OT security is the ability to secure and monitor a variety of industrial devices, systems, and processes that are essential for operations in manufacturing, energy production, transportation, water treatment/distribution, healthcare services and more. Unfortunately these highly specialized systems are often targeted by malicious actors with various motivations and skill levels – from ransomware attacks to cyberterrorism incidents to vandalism.
Effective OT cybersecurity programs take a three-pronged approach to threat management: detection, protection and response. This provides the organization with visibility into the entire ecosystem and allows OT personnel to be more involved in both protection and response activities.
Network and endpoint detection systems monitor connections, traffic, and other data to detect suspicious activity or threats on OT networks. Defenders can use these tools quickly and efficiently detect threats on a system and assess their severity accordingly.
Another essential element of OT protection is a secure configuration strategy to design and maintain secure settings on equipment. This involves reviewing and eliminating software that is unnecessary, configuring logout and login settings correctly, minimizing connections to the internet, closing unnecessary ports and services, as well as uninstalling unauthorized third-party software.
Next, OT malware presents an increasingly serious danger for industrial facilities. Nation-states, hackers and “hacktivists” are among the most frequent targets.
Malware attacks against OT systems can cause major disruptions, destroy facilities, injure workers and result in significant financial losses unless effective incident response and recovery procedures are put in place. Furthermore, OT security programs need to be updated frequently in order to avoid the recurrence of old strains of malware as new ones emerge.
In addition to traditional signature-based anti-malware solutions, an increasing number of companies are turning towards cloud-enabled next-gen antivirus (AV) technology that doesn’t require agents on each device. These types of AV tools compare known risks against suspicious patterns to block malware even before it creates a signature.
This approach is especially essential in an operational technology (OT) environment, as it helps ensure all computers, servers and workstations receive patches at the same time. However, this can be challenging in an OT setting since many systems may not be operational and patches require time for testing and deployment before being implemented.
Is Your OT System at Risk of Malware Attacks?
Are Your OT Systems Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks?
As the adoption of OT technology grows, industrial plants and factories become more vulnerable to cyberattacks. These attacks can disrupt critical operations, damage sensitive data, and negatively affect a company’s brand reputation.
Security breaches are the most frequent type of attack vector that can impact operational technology (OT) systems in cybersecurity, but hackers also employ other techniques to gain access to networks or computer systems. These include malware and viruses, malicious email attachments and web links, pop-up windows and instant messages designed to trick employees or individual users into providing login credentials.
Another major security risk for OT networks lies in an incorrect security configuration that allows an attacker to access your network or system without authorization. Common mistakes include default admin passwords, open ports, unused web pages and files, unprotected network resources and other vulnerabilities which allow hackers to gain access to your information.
In addition to attack vectors, cybercriminals’ methods may also be determined by personal characteristics like dissatisfaction with their job or an affinity for hacking or malware. They could be part of a hacking group, expert gang, or off-shoot of a state-sponsored gang.
These groups often target suppliers and customers, jeopardizing their privacy by stealing data from their systems. Fortunately, there are several tools organizations can use to monitor and protect their suppliers’ OT security practices; such as service agreements, audits, metrics, and more.
Preventing attack vectors from impacting your Operational Technology systems requires an effective OT cyber security strategy. These solutions will guarantee that both critical data and critical infrastructure are safeguarded against common cyber risks.
Maintaining your OT systems with the most up-to-date patches and software upgrades is critical for protecting them against attackers exploiting software flaws. Doing this can shield your systems against various threats, such as zero day vulnerabilities and malicious apps that could be exploited.
Implementing an extensive IT/OT security solution will shield your business from all potential attacks. In the event of a breach, having both systems and data backed up will enable you to continue operations even if your IT infrastructure has been compromised.
Are Your OT Systems Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks?
Are Your OT Security Solutions Up to Par?
The operational technology (OT) cybersecurity space is rapidly developing. Its technologies, organizational measures, and processes all strive to guarantee uninterrupted operation of industrial systems in the face of increasing cyberattacks.
OT security differs from IT in that it prioritizes protecting data and its use. Instead, OT security focuses on safeguarding physical assets and equipment in a manufacturing or processing facility. Thus, risks to the system are mostly related to its availability and integrity rather than confidentiality of data or remote access capabilities.
Therefore, effective OT cybersecurity solutions are developed with the purpose of keeping an operational technology environment running optimally at all times, regardless of external threats or events. They include software solutions that monitor, analyze and control industrial systems and machinery remotely or onsite.
An OT security solution that provides visibility into operating systems and devices on the network gives OT teams a comprehensive view of what’s happening in their environment, enabling them to quickly identify problems and resolve them before any damage occurs. Furthermore, it enables centralized monitoring, analysis, and control over OT infrastructure – making it simpler to detect and address anomalies as they arise.
For instance, if an OT system malfunctions and spills contaminated water onto the production line, an effective OT security solution can shut down the entire system and identify the cause to a single point of failure before any harm is done. This enables leadership to act swiftly and efficiently, minimizing damage while restoring operations as quickly as possible.
Furthermore, OT security solutions can protect an organization’s infrastructure from other types of attacks such as malware and ransomware. OT firewalls, network intrusion prevention systems, and sandboxing tools all work to shield an organization against cyberattacks.
To further protect the OT environment, it’s essential to implement a zero trust approach. This essential security measure eliminates the need for complex firewall stacks and VPNs by providing adaptive context-based application access from anywhere on the network.
Are Your OT Security Solutions Up to Par?
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