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INDUSTRY 4.0/IIoT


BRIDGING THE OT/IT SECURITY DIVIDE


Jay Abdallah, VP of Cybersecurity Solutions and Services, Schneider Electric, explains how to successfully


converge OT and IT in order to mitigate cybersecurity risks


n recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of high-profile attacks against critical infrastructure. Events like the takedown of the largest fuel pipeline in the US and the Stuxnet attack against Iranian nuclear facilities show how vulnerable operational technologies (OT) are to cyberattacks and the consequences that critical and heavy industries may face. According to Gartner, 30% of critical infrastructure organisations will experience a security breach by 2025 that will heavily impact operations, or cyber-physical systems that are essential to mission operability. The United States government has recently issued a Cybersecurity Advisory that outlines the threat posed by cybercriminals who can access industrial control systems (ICS), SCADA devices, and PLCs. It warned: “Because OT/ICS systems manage physical operational processes, cyber actors’ operations could result in physical consequences, including loss of life, property damage, and disruption of National Critical Functions.”


I Cyberattack threats


OT cyber threats also have the potential to cause costly downtime and disruption. Industries such as energy, mining and water have users that rely entirely on their utilities, and with 83% of OT security decision-makers experiencing OT security breaches in 2022, this demonstrates just how threatening these cyberattacks could be. Government studies have estimated that the UK’s chemical industry alone loses £1.3bn a year from cyberattacks, with overall vulnerabilities in OT rising by 88% from 2020 to 2021. The OT threat does not end at critical infrastructure, it extends to any industrial entity that aims to reap the benefits that are offered by Industry 4.0. Transitioning to industrial digitalisation is crucial, and while the risk of a breach is a valid concern, organisations must prioritise holistic IT/OT security strategies and use industry expertise to mitigate risk. The demand for remote access and connectivity technologies, alongside the explosion of data-driven operational efficiency strategies, highlights a concerning gap between


Industry 4.0 technologies deliver vast improvements to efficiency and sustainability, however, it will flounder if it is not supported by comprehensive cybersecurity operations


IT and OT security strategy and expertise. Unlike traditional IT systems, primarily focused on data processing and storage, OT systems interact with the physical world, presenting cybersecurity risks which require specific security approaches. Now, industrial organisations must implement multi-layered, integrated, robust cybersecurity measures across IT, OT, and cloud environments, each with unique protocols and attack vectors.


Specialised skillset


Industrial cybersecurity monitoring, detection and response across varying operating environments require a highly specialised skillset. Few companies operating in the OT space have the internal resources or expertise to maintain holistic cybersecurity in-house. As McKinsey found, many heavy industrials it surveyed could not identify a party responsible for OT security.


Aligning cybersecurity best practices, governance, and regulatory requirements across device management, detection, and response is a mammoth task. Maintaining a 24/7 internal security team which is expert across OT, IT, and cloud is an expensive endeavour and highly specialised talent is hard to find, so many rely on outside experts. At the same time, industrial operations often rely on legacy OT equipment designed and


deployed before the need for cyber protection. This can be difficult to upgrade or replace due to its criticality, complexity, and age. Proprietary hardware requires device- agnostic approaches that work across numerous sites and scattered facilities. Despite the complex nature of the OT security footprint, it is simply disconnected from central security strategies. However, with less than 40% of OT organisations having an incident response plan available, many organisations are vulnerable to both a greater range of attacks and are unable to respond appropriately once a cyberattack has taken place. In addition, the rate and severity of these threats will only worsen if these incidents go unnoticed.


Work with experts Although many firms have the capabilities to offer managed cybersecurity services due to their experience operating in the IT domain, very few firms can match this in the OT domain. Yet, working with experts that are embedded across IT technology expertise and OT real-world experience is paramount. Having the option of working with firms that can offer cross-domain expertise as well as advanced machine learning capabilities and trend analysis, which underpin proactive IT/OT security, is an invaluable asset to many organisations. If digital transformation continues to advance at its current rate, industrial leaders must leverage partners that will help to overcome talent and resource constraints. Partners with extensive domain expertise can address more sophisticated attacks, leaving organisations with the freedom to truly transform.


Schneider Electric www.se.com


SEPTEMBER 2023 | PROCESS & CONTROL 31


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