Operational Technology

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OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY (OT) RISK ASSESSMENT

IN 2020 IT WAS REPORTED THAT CYBERATTACKS ON THE MARITIME INDUSTRY’S OT SYSTEMS HAD INCREASED BY 900% OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. SIMILAR TRENDS ARE OBSERVED IN OTHER INDUSTRIES, WHICH ARE MORE RELIANT ON OT SYSTEMS.

Challenges associated with OT

There are no signs that the growing convergence of OT and IT systems will slow down. Smart entities in supply chains that are highly connected are offering efficiency and precision while lowering expenses.

Since many departments and divisions manage a range of OT and IT equipment, it can be difficult to pinpoint the vulnerable systems using specified criteria.

It is hard to create and maintain risk registers for OT and IT systems.

It is challenging to assign responsibility for all resources, applications, systems, and personnel that are involved in the delivery of particular services.

Challenges with OT system configuration management. The supply chain is more dependent on the availability of OT systems provider assistance.

THE FIRST STEP TO EFFECTIVELY SECURING YOUR OT ENVIRONMENT IS TO LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE NEEDS, THREATS, VULNERABILITIES, AND CONTROLS. THIS WILL PROVIDE YOU A FULL PICTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION’S SECURITY MATURITY LEVEL. THE ASSESSMENT LOOKS AT A WIDE RANGE OF SECURITY MEASURES AND HOW THEY ARE USED IN THE OT ENVIRONMENT.

PRE-ASSESSMENT

This step provides an initial understanding of what and how security measures are implemented in the organization and in the factory or plant network. As part of the pre-assessment, assessors collect available documentation such as business impact analyses (BIA), network architecture diagrams, firewall rulesets and security policies.

ORGANIZATIONAL MATURITY ASSESSMENT

This step determines the company’s security maturity. It comprises interviewing plant stakeholders from operator to management to understand the organizational setup and security governance, including formal and informal structures.

These conversations comprise international security standards, i.e., Industrial Automation and Control Systems Security (ISA-99/IEC 62443), Information Security (ISO/IEC 27002), NIST Special Publication 800-82, and NIST Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity.

OT SECURITY NETWORK EVALUATION

During this assessment, one or more data streams from the OT environment are taken (in a non-intrusive way) to find active assets, how they communicate with each other, and the common protocols they utilize. From this, a topology drawing or network map can be made that is interactive.

When vulnerabilities are found, they can be compared to an up-to-date list of known vulnerabilities and marked as needing to be fixed. The information acquired during this evaluation can also be utilized to develop, verify, or add to a manufacturer’s configuration or asset management database. (CMDB).

OTHER STEPS TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES INCLUDE:

Understanding the OT Environment
Mapping and Reconnaissance of Networks

Identifying Threats
Manual and Automated Testing

OT SECURITY NETWORK EVALUATION

SUPPORTING COMPANIES TO IDENTIFY THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH QUANTUM THREATS AND MAPPING OUT A QUANTUM SECURE FUTURE STRATEGY

Our services will include the identification of which business processes, currently protected by existing cryptography, could be broken.

We will support businesses in determining how long the most critical data needs to remain secure and the full inventory of current cryptographic properties. In particular, we will offer our quantum strategy consulting services to identify existing standards and protocols used and if they are ‘quantum safe’. We will support companies to build out a quantum-safe response while offering quantum-safe solutions.

GET IN TOUCH

Don’t wait until it’s too late; invest in your organization’s security and peace of mind by completing the form now. Your proactive approach will not only safeguard your valuable information but also demonstrate your commitment to a robust cybersecurity strategy. Act now and let us be your trusted partner in defending against cyber threats

CONTACT INFORMATION

UK Tel: +44 333 1223 372
USA Tel: +1 833 838 6754
LATAM Tel: +52 (55) 5335 0800
E: info@cystel.org

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