With cyberattacks increasing in frequency and sophistication, protecting your Operational Technology systems from threats is essential. This requires a security posture that combines OT cybersecurity and IT security.
OT systems can be vulnerable to attack by hackers, disgruntled employees, terrorists, nation-states, and other malicious actors. These attacks can have devastating consequences, compromising operational uptime and personnel safety.
Implement a Comprehensive Security Strategy
The recent reports of a ransomware attack on a port in New Orleans emphasize companies’ need to safeguard their operational technology systems with greater vigilance. Cyber threats to OT can have devastating consequences, from a loss of business to physical damage to critical infrastructure.
As IT and OT networks converge, it is crucial to implement an OT cybersecurity program designed to protect these mission-critical systems from various cyberattacks. This program must include a risk assessment, an incident response plan, security policies and procedures, a training strategy, third-party risk management, and more.
Threats to OT are varied and complex. They can be malicious attacks from hackers, state-sponsored entities, disgruntled employees, or hacktivists seeking a political objective. Alternatively, threats such as system complexity or environmental factors can be unintentional. Whatever the case, the best protection is a comprehensive security strategy that includes detection, prevention, monitoring, and remediation.
Implement a Comprehensive Monitoring Strategy
A continuous monitoring strategy is essential to securing operational technology from cyberattacks. The definition of what will be watched, when it will be completed, and the criteria that will be employed to gauge success are all aided by a monitoring plan.
It is also essential to plan how the monitoring results will be used to inform other processes and policies. For example, how will the data be incorporated into threat modeling efforts? How will the findings be incorporated into remediation and incident response efforts? How will the information be communicated to key stakeholders and executives?
IT and OT systems are increasingly converging to enable greater automation and efficiency. But because of this convergence’s additional attack surfaces, they may become a significant target for cyberattacks. These attacks can range from malicious insider threats (such as disgruntled employees with access) to unintentional human errors that can occur when navigating complex systems.
Implement a Comprehensive Authentication Strategy
Industrial operations such as manufacturing, power generation, water treatment and supply, transportation, healthcare, and other essential services rely on a highly specialized set of technologies called operational technology (OT). As these critical systems are increasingly interconnected, they become vulnerable to modern threats from malicious actors that range in scope from ransomware and IP theft to full-blown cyberterrorism with the potential to destroy facilities, disrupt infrastructure, and injure people.
OT cybersecurity teams must implement reliable user authentication procedures that can be scaled to match the particular needs of their operational systems to reduce these threats. Strong user authentication requires a combination of possession, knowledge, and inherence factors to verify the identity of a user, such as password policies that include minimum length and special characters, secure methods for resetting passwords, and the monitoring of data breaches and leaks that compromise password hashes.
In addition, a zero-trust security framework should incorporate multi-factor authentication tools to help prevent attacks such as phishing and cross-site scripting (XSS). This approach reduces the likelihood that an attacker will find a way into your system by requiring multiple verification forms before giving access.
Implement a Comprehensive Log Management Strategy
A comprehensive log management strategy is vital in today’s complex digital landscape. Log data is an invaluable source of intelligence that can help enterprises identify and address performance issues, optimize user experiences, and mitigate security threats.
Effective log management starts with collecting, formatting, and aggregating logs in a centralized location. This allows for real-time correlation of critical trends and metrics to detect and locate those “needle in a haystack” events that could be the root cause of a cyber attack.
In addition, forwarding log data to a centralized location enables developers, QA, and security teams to debug problems without having access to production environments, thus minimizing the risk of exposing sensitive information. It also allows IT to retain logs for extended periods to support regulatory compliance and analytic requirements. In addition, implementing hot and cold storage allows for faster search and retrieval of critical logs.
Implement a Comprehensive Access Control Strategy
When it comes to access control, implementing a comprehensive strategy is essential for adequate security. Access controls are one of the most critical functions in preventing data breaches and mitigating insider threats.
In addition to user department, role, and responsibilities, security teams should regularly review and update access privileges to avoid privilege creep (when users accumulate excessive privileges over time). This practice helps reduce the risk of unauthorized individuals viewing potentially sensitive information displayed on computer monitors or output devices such as printers.
Threat actors targeting OT systems can range from hacktivists seeking revenge or creating chaos to nation-states and terrorists seeking to disrupt critical infrastructure such as power plants and water treatment facilities. A firm access control policy, comprehensive monitoring, and robust training programs can help prevent various attacks and mitigate malicious and unintentional insider threats.
Implement a Comprehensive Training Strategy
The threat landscape continues to grow as OT systems increasingly converge with information technology (IT) systems. Attackers target vulnerabilities in these converged ecosystems to gain unauthorized access and disrupt or steal sensitive data.
Unlike IT systems, which deal with data and communication, OT systems focus more on controlling physical systems. These systems are the backbone of industrial operations, overseeing power generation and assembly lines. A cyberattack on an OT system can result in production interruptions, cost overruns, and lost revenue. It can even endanger human safety.
While some threats come from external sources—hacktivists, terrorists, nation-states, and disgruntled employees—insider threats are equally dangerous. Malicious actions, such as phishing attacks or unintentional actions, like misconfigured systems, can cause these. CISOs must develop strong access controls, comprehensive monitoring, and robust training programs to mitigate these risks. They must also educate their team members to foster a culture prioritizing cybersecurity as a vital business enabler.
