Operational technology (OT) is a vital part of cyber security that helps protect critical infrastructure and industrial environments. Companies from different industries, such as oil and gas and petrochemicals, require OT cybersecurity and follow strict regulatory requirements. Strong security measures are important for industrial process continuity, so they rely on OT to implement strong cyber warfare operations.
Operational technology (OT) involves software and hardware to identify the cause of changes that occur in the physical world. It offers various solutions, such as pumps, drives, devices, and industrial control systems. All these solutions help to smoothly run the operational matters of the power grids, manufacturing plants, and equipment used in different industries without facing any issues.
Relevant Operational Technology Threats
Different OT threats can be harmful to companies operating in different industries. Let’s find out about those threats in detail.
Direct Attacks
Direct attacks are one of the most common attacks that affect Operational technology systems, and hackers can perform this attack by using remote connections. After breaching the system, your system can get infected with a malicious code that can change the control logic, which can lead to malfunction.
Indirect Attacks
The indirect attacks affect the OT of the IT systems by targeting the supply chain members or through lateral movement that may also include service providers.
Supply Chain Attacks
In supply chain attacks, the attackers can exploit the development procedure by using malicious code to target third-party software. Also, the attackers can hijack the service providers, which can compromise the management and monitoring software of the companies.
Strategies to Secure Operational Technology
With different cybersecurity assessments, you can keep your operational technology (OT) secure. Here are some strategies that can help you protect your OT and improve the security posture of your company.
Know about the Visibility
When it comes to OT, you can only protect what you know, which means your Operational technology team needs to maintain a proper check and balance to ensure that relevant systems are free of any threats. It also helps to eliminate any threat as soon as it is detected and keeps the system free of any potential threat.
Consider having Network Segmentation
Another strategy that you can consider in this regard is network segmentation, which helps prevent lateral movement in the OT environment and detect malicious activities entering the devices and systems.
Verify Access Restrictions
It is important to define and verify the access restrictions to ensure that the OT system remains safe. You must take the right measures to restrict access so that only limited people have access to the OT assets. Also, IT administrative accounts should not be allowed to work in the Operational technology environment, as it increases the chances of security breaches. It would be better to integrate multifactor authentication wherever it is possible to have the zero-trust approach in the company.
Keep your Configurations Updated
In OT environments, it is crucial to keep configurations updated, as outdated configurations can create vulnerabilities in the system. The relevant team must continuously review the configurations to implement solid security measures accordingly.
Significance of Securing Access and Identities
In OT spaces, it is crucial to protect identities and access. If identities and access are unsafe in the OT environment, then it can create security loopholes in the entire system that can expose it to the attackers. It is important to secure your identity and access to the OT systems because it helps to protect the valuable resources of the company.
Implementing reliable identity and access management solutions also helps to improve efficiency and saves time by optimizing the resources in the right way. The integration of automated processes helps to mitigate the risks. Also, once you are fully in control of access and user activities, you can reduce the risks of threats and data breaches.
Difference Between OT Security and IT Security
The OT and IT security have different cybersecurity domains that aim to protect systems and networks from cyber-attacks. However, both these domains focus on different environments and have different challenges and priorities, so you must know their differences to implement these security measures more effectively in your company.
Focus Domains
Industrial control systems (ICS), vital machinery, and other physical equipment are the main targets of OT security. Transportation, energy, and manufacturing sectors all employ these systems. Conversely, information technology security pertains to safeguarding information, networks, and computing systems utilized in commercial settings, including cloud computing, email servers, and databases.
System Upgrades
The most recent security updates and software patches are routinely applied to IT systems. The lifecycle of an IT system is typically significantly shorter, requiring modifications or replacements every few years. On the other hand, the lifespan of OT systems can extend to several decades.
Risk and Threats Tolerance Level
Secrecy, integrity, and availability of data are given top priority in IT security, with a focus on safeguarding sensitive data and reducing data breaches. The main worry is frequent theft or loss of data. OT Security prioritizes the ongoing operation of physical systems and places a greater emphasis on safety and availability.
Communication Protocols
Standardized communication protocols like TCP and IP are commonly used in IT networks. Industry-specific protocols, such as DNP3 or Modbus, which are intended for machine-to-machine communication, are frequently used in OT contexts.
Best OT Security Practices
Here are some of the best Operational technology security practices that organizations must know about. OT systems require similar security solutions to those that IT networks need, such as endpoint protection, multifactor authentication, and team training. It is important to implement specific measures that can match the requirements of the OT environments, so let’s find out about some of these practices.
Network Segmentation
Network segmentation, which divides the OT network from the IT network and other external systems, is one of the best strategies to safeguard OT systems. Organizations can greatly lower the risk of lateral movement in the event of a breach by dividing their network into distinct zones and employing firewalls to regulate traffic between them. Companies need to put access control and firewalls in place between OT and IT networks. Furthermore, they have to restrict access to the OT network according to need and role.
Asset Monitoring
Effective security in the OT environment requires a thorough inventory of every device. This is a step that many businesses miss, which leaves unidentified assets vulnerable and unmonitored. Identification of all the hardware, software, communication protocols, and data flows in the OT environment are all included in the asset inventory. After that, keeping an eye out for suspicious activity on these assets might help identify possible security incidents before they happen. Companies update the list of all OT devices regularly. They also use automated techniques to find new or rogue devices on the network.
Supply Chain Risk Management
A lot of OT systems get their hardware, software, and services from outside providers. The importance of supply chain security increases since external collaborations can add vulnerabilities. Preventing dangers from third-party products and services requires vendors to adhere to strict security measures.
Solid Incident Response Plan
It is essential to have a well-defined incident response strategy that is specific to OT contexts. Because OT settings operate in real-time and face the potential physical effects of cyberattacks, they frequently demand a different response strategy than IT systems.
Authentication and Access Control
Preventing unwanted access to OT systems requires strict control over access. Robust access control measures guarantee that the system can only be accessed by authorized personnel. The possibility of unauthorized users accessing critical infrastructure can be decreased by implementing role-based access control (RBAC) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for users. Companies verify user identification using MFA, especially when granting remote access.
System Updates
The old upgrades might leave OT systems open to security issues; these systems frequently operate on older hardware and software. Although regular patch management is crucial, many OT systems cannot afford to experience downtime, making it difficult at times. Businesses should weigh the operational stability of vital systems against the necessity for fixes. Implementing patching into priority lists according to system impact and risk can help manage threats efficiently.