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Today’s sophisticated Operations Technology (OT) environments have a large attack surface with numerous attack vectors. Without complete coverage, the likelihood of getting attacked is not a matter of ‘if’; it’s a matter of ‘when’. Security for OT has gained significant attention due to a confluence of events. Up until only recently the IT infrastructure played front and center in terms of ensuring complete visibility, security and control mostly because this was ground zero for where organizations were being attacked. For the better part of two decades this is what kept the CISO up at night; but the reality has changed. With our increasingly interconnected world through the adoption if IIoT, OT has quickly caught up as a lightning rod for new attacks and increased security concerns. Because OT systems were traditionally segregated and isolated, controllers were not architected to address the security threats or the human errors we now experience. Outsiders, insiders, and outsiders masquerading as insiders are all possible actors that launch sophisticated attacks to take over machines for nefarious purposes. More recently hackers have changed from being rogue individuals to systematic programs launched by well-funded and highly motivated organizations and countries. A carefully executed attack can accomplish as much if not more than modern day warfare. In addressing this relatively new security threat that is specifically targeting industrial operations, network monitoring is not enough. It is essential to gain visibility to the entire industrial control system (ICS) environment. This can only be accomplished by taking a forward leaning security posture. This paper will help you identify the key elements needed to progress beyond simple passive monitoring in order to secure your industrial organization from the clear and present threat. |
