Page 111 - Cyber Defense eMagazine June 2020 Edition

It’s clear that as these vulnerabilities grow, manufacturing and industrial leaders must devote greater
attention to securing their environments.

A Different Approach to OT Security

Industrial and manufacturing organizations need a security strategy that is specifically tailored to all
devices across OT and IT environments. This approach could better protect essential tools and
processes with the following focus areas:

• Agentless. Most OT enterprise IoT devices, such as SCADA systems, PLC’s, RTU’s, HMI’s and
engineering workstations, cannot accommodate security agents, so a security strategy should be
able to function without relying on these agents.

• Passive. A security strategy that uses network scans or probes can disrupt or even crash OT
devices, which would interfere with important industrial control operations like plant operations. A
strong system should be able to function using only passive technologies.

• Comprehensive security controls. A security strategy designed to mitigate risks in an OT
environment should have the same outcomes as one designed for IT devices. These outcomes
are listed in security frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) or the Center
for Internet Security Critical Security Controls (CSC). In the IT world, this typically requires the
use of several different security tools. For the OT environment, it would be desirable to obtain
comprehensive coverage of the required security controls using as few tools as possible.

• Comprehensive device coverage. A comprehensive security strategy will encompass all
managed, unmanaged or industrial IoT devices in the enterprise—from the manufacturing floor to
the executive suite—because in an interconnected environment, you can’t secure OT unless you
secure IT along with it. The security platform should work for all types and brands of industrial
control systems, along with other kinds of devices common to the enterprise such as HVAC
systems, IP security cameras, fire alarm systems, building access management systems,
switches, firewalls, wireless access points, printers, and more.

Cyber Defense eMagazine –June 2020 Edition 111
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