Fortinet has identified six key visibility hurdles to overcome when it pertains to the success of Operational Technology Network Security. You can learn topics like FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, and NSE-4 as part of a Fortinet training course to advance your career opportunities and strengthen your Fortinet abilities.
Industrial and vital infrastructure are controlled by operational technology (OT) systems in industries such as manufacturing, utilities, energy, defense, transportation, and communications. OT networks are progressively interacting with internet-connected IT networks as all businesses adopt a wide range of new digital technologies. Because of this overlap, previously separated OT systems are now exposed to the whole range of IT-based risks as the IT attack surface grows. Since standard security techniques were not built to meet the specific and sensitive needs of OT, network operations analysts must look for protection that delivers situational awareness, control, and visibility across various domains.
OT networks:
As OT networks and internet-connected IT become more integrated, fraudsters will have more opportunities to attack. OT systems that were previously isolated are now vulnerable to a wide range of IT-based risks.
Fortinet says, “Because standard security techniques were not created with the specific and sensitive demands of OT in mind, the analysts of network operations must look for protection that gives situational awareness, control, and visibility across different domains”.
1. Defending Against an Network Attack of OT that is Expanding
Air gapping, or isolating OT networks from IT networks, was once the best approach to defend them.
Although organizations with 75% reporting some type of fundamental link between OT and IT, the convergence nullifies the air gaping security, leading to organizations with 97% admitting security concerns as a result of the convergence.
2. Finding the New OT Security Solution
Fortinet says, “Because of the confluence of IT and OT, a developed and effective OT security posture necessitates several unique considerations”, who further adds that “Attempts to mitigate risk in OT environments by merely deploying Fortinet Firewalls that are ready-to-use, intrusion detection and prevention systems and sandboxes result in uncertain, disruptive, and unacceptable outcomes”.
In order to address the wider picture, organizations must design security even for much basic OT system levels, rather than using a bolt-on method to solutions of network security.
3. The Attack Surface’s Visibility
- Fortinet says, “You can’t safeguard something you can’t see”, who had reported
- That “Companies with 82% are unable to identify each and every device on their network.”
- To assure reliable operations of OT in today’s digital environment
- It’s critical to have every device (wireless and wired) with continuous visibility.
- “These technologies provide a likely backdoor for vulnerabilities to target susceptible OT systems, since they connect to an IT network [external] for extra capabilities.
- According to Fortinet, a security architecture that is integrated may provide a transparent, centralized view of the whole OT environment.
4. Security Updates, Access Control, and More
Predefined permitted functions and normal traffic must be baselined for OT control.
- Fortinet explains, “Fortunately, device behavior in an OT context is more likely to be within a known range
- And static than in traditional IT systems, so abnormal behavior is more likely to be instantly visible and addressed”.
- The capability to push traffic from devices that are primitive via a solution for next-generation firewalls is also crucial to OT control.
- Fortinet adds, “Depending on who and what is connected to a network
- Access policies must be able to be imposed and enforced”.
5. Awareness of the Situation
- A single hour of operational downtime could cost a company more than $100,000 (USD)
- manufacturers with 98%, according to a study by PwC.
- Fortinet says, “When an OT environment device is attacked individually, organizations require instantaneous notifications
- Threat information in context so as to swiftly comprehend what specific steps to take.”
- However, analysts of network operations could receive Security alerts in the thousands every day, and tracing down
- The suspicious device location manually and any other pertinent information around the incident to establish whether it is an actual attack could take hours of inquiry.
6. Greater Critical Infrastructure Networks and Industrial Transparency
- A key problem for OT networks is balancing the need to safeguard
- Against the growing threat of attack while not disrupting critical services.
- Fortinet concludes, “While the merging of IT and OT has numerous benefits
- It also inaugurates new risks which security teams and analysts of network operations may be unaware of.
- At every time, organizations should be capable of knowing who and what connects their infrastructure”.
Conclusion:
In this article, you have learned the securing mechanisms of the OT network attacks, solutions offered for OT security, attacking surfaces visibility, access control, and security updates, awareness about various circumstances, transparency measures for industry and infrastructural networks.
