Information Technology (IT), the sector skilled the revolution of Operational Technology (OT); Operational Technology is the aggregate of hardware and software programs that controls and operates the bodily mechanisms of the enterprise. OT structures play a vital position within the water, manufacturing, power, and distribution structures that converted enterprise into the present day. Those structures are characteristic of operating, automating, and controlling commercial machines. With the upward push of the net in the retail sector, OT structures are also being uncovered to the equal disruptive threats that exist for all net-related devices, including intellectual belongings theft, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) botnets, and ransomware attacks. Why is OT Security at Risk? Having access to Internet connectivity made effortless of operability. Still, distant from those profits, this change bought some system vulnerabilities that are not easy to be stopped even by an equipped guard. Unfortunately, the physical system can be the reason for the devastation of these precious machines, and the question is, can industrial networks be protected exclusive of defence to any disturbance in operations? Following the 2020 Global IoT/ICS Risk Report, 71% of these networks have out-of-date operating systems that are not getting security updates anymore, 64% are by anxious passwords, and 66% are not efficient with the most recent antivirus updates. These are the problems that are happening due to these risks.

1. Direct Internet Connections: Most businesses have direct links to the open internet. It is ordinary if anyone’s internet-connected machine is sufficient to give attackers a gateway to bring malware into OT networks.

 

2. Insecure Passwords: Operators have been using unconfident passwords to access the networks conveniently. It makes it simple for attackers to employ brute-force finding of credentials to increase illegal operator access.

 

3.  Unnecessary Exposure: several industries have at slightest one misconfigured wireless access points that numerous devices such as laptops can access. To prevent malware attacks from the attackers, you can access point configurations that must be reviewed to reveal any misconfigurations.

 

4.  Outdated Operating System: An out-of-date operating system that no longer receives security updates is exceptionally vulnerable to security attacks. All machines, including access points, must be inventoried, and patched to the latest manufacturers’ specifications to prevent negotiation.

How to get a secure environment for OT devices?   OT devices are an essential part of our life, and therefore it is necessary to keep them secure. A few main processes that may instantly help you in protecting your OT environment are as follows:

1. Secure Access/Centralized Logging:Getting safe access is difficult for many organizations. Organizations need to set up diverse access for different users via different access routes. And to offer secure access, user access should be protected by multi-factor verification. Protected access control can be accomplished with centralized sorting. Centralized logging assists in supervising and examining all logs to recognize security gaps and optimize guard.

 

2. Asset Management: OT systems are the brain of every industry, and an organization’s main task is to guard them. Many OT systems appearance lack visibility. Many organizations do not know the correct number of OT systems in their association. As a part of asset management, every association must have a complete record of its OT systems. This will not allow them to recognize what they are defending and plan for that reason.

 

3. Software Vulnerability Analysis: Organizations must be aware of all software versions, updates, and compatibility with the OT systems in the environment. Vulnerability inspection is also essential for understanding where weak points may be present.

 

4. Patching Management: Patching is an essential part of hardware and software stewardship. Organizations must recognize the patching necessities of the assets in their control. OT patching is a complicated process, so the process must be done sensibly. This means that, at times, automatic OT patching may not be the most excellent approach. Still, that does not prevent the requirement for a careful patching plan.

 

5. Network Segmentation: Network segmentation is the apparent separation among unrelated networks. The want is to split into great networks according to their individual functions. Segmentation can help in dividing cooperation. For example, an attack next to the growing network will not influence the sales network. As an alternative to making a new network, a corporation should go after a recognized procedure, such as the Purdue Model, to set up system-to-system connectivity.

 

6. Backup Management: Data backups are the mainly efficient way of getting better from data loss. Organizations must often perform backups. There are various backup methodologies and the best ways to ensure those backups are secluded.

  OT security is an urgent need for every business to assemble market demand and plant ease of use. Because of the low visibility of assets, OT security supervision can be hard for organizations. luckily, some steps can be used to decrease the high-level risks. An efficient security program by the organizations can be done with the proper knowledge and cautious planning and implementation.   Due to the significance of security in the developed space, all possible attack surfaces should be dealt with as unsafe. Unluckily, because of the potential substantial public impact of breaking these systems, there what’s left is a healthy paranoia regarding the link of IT-centric technologies and external connections, despite the enormous amount of assets insecurity in these parts. Caring industrial networks up to the most current and safest levels is a slow procedure due to profound historical, cultural, and philosophical dissimilarities between OT and IT environments. Although they are getting fixed, and with time they will be solved. However still, organizations need to be more careful and updated to lessen these security issues and make their operating systems more functional and well developed.   About SNS Secure Network Solutions (SNS) is a Cyber Security-focused company and has been helping businesses use the internet safely for the last 21 years. For any cyber security concerns and to protect your business against cyber-attacks, feel free to write us at: [email protected]