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Trends in the manufacturing industry by Claroty

December 2019 by Patrick Kennedy, security evangelist at Claroty

trends and advice around cyber security within the manufacturing industry from Patrick Kennedy, security evangelist at Claroty.

Integration and connectivity
Integration of unmanaged IoT devices, such as predictive maintenance monitors (tracking wear and tear on industrial equipment), performance and efficiency monitors (tracking production processes to ensure they are operating at peak efficiency), barcode and RF scanners in logistics environments, are trends that we are currently seeing and expect to see more of over the coming years in the manufacturing industry.

An increase in the number of devices connected to a manufacturing plant’s network increases the attack surface and opens up the threat of bad actors gaining online access to operational processes, which in today’s connected infrastructure, can originate from anywhere.

Shared damage from IT networks
The continued risk of spillover damage from IT to Operational Technology (OT) networks, particularly ransomware, due to poor segmentation, is a security concern we expect to see a continuation of in the coming years. To safeguard the OT environment, the goal is to isolate the most critical areas of the Industrial Control System (ICS) network and control who initiates changes to production processes.

Acceleration of digital transformation
We are continuing to see an urgency to accelerate digital transformation projects. This in turn adds additional pressure on the security team to support the transformation.

Cyber attacks: preparing for and defending against them
Even though digital threats are now common- place, the fundamental principles of a strong security strategy still apply. Whether you are securing the site of a manufacturing plant against intrusion or protecting its industrial control systems (ICS) against hackers, malware, or unauthorised users, it starts with defining the environment. Understanding what is normal and expected operational behaviour and implementing controls to monitor and enforce security policies should be routine best practice.

The term “you can’t protect what you can’t see” is also true of ICS networks. To improve network security, manufacturers should begin by mapping their networks and devices and identify any sensitive or vulnerable areas. They must develop a complete inventory of endpoints and map the communication paths between them. Luckily, purpose-built OT security technologies have recently emerged, enabling security and operational staff to discover the assets on their network.

In securing the ICS network, the same principle applies; to define what is normal, we must monitor all assets on the network, map communication patterns, and understand the purpose of that communication. The best OT security technologies establish a baseline of normal behaviour by monitoring activity over an extended period and establishing patterns of behaviour.

Defining your environment and monitoring activity keeps you informed, but without the proper controls in place, it does little to reduce risk. Segmentation of networks, so that endpoints only communicate with assets necessary to perform their function, ensures that critical processes cannot be impacted if another part of the network is compromised.


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