Optimizing Cybersecurity Investments for Operational Technology

The Importance of Wise Investments in OT Cybersecurity

In modern times, it’s common for organizations to invest heavily in cybersecurity. However, many of these investments are not fully utilized, leading to wasted resources. In Operational Technology (OT) environments, making informed decisions is crucial. Once money is spent, particularly if misallocated, it’s usually irrecoverable.

Strategic Utilization of Existing OT Cybersecurity Investments

Organizations often hesitate to invest in new cybersecurity solutions without fully maximizing existing ones. This cautious approach is vital since failed investments can’t be undone. Therefore, choosing the right security measures and adopting a cost-conscious approach from the outset is essential.

Key Steps in Maximizing OT Cybersecurity Investments

• Assess current assets and investments in your environment.
• Evaluate the utility of current investments for maximal benefit.
• Adopt a risk-based approach suitable for your environment.
• Understand that technology may not eliminate risk but can reduce long-term efforts.
• Prioritize efforts to enhance both current and future technology.
• Commit to and focus on delivering selected security activities and technologies.
• Recognize that security is an ongoing maintenance activity.

Making Thoughtful Decisions in Industrial OT Cybersecurity

Before committing to any industrial cybersecurity solution, ensure it adds tangible value and addresses specific challenges. Consider options that offer long-term benefits and savings. Often, a series of small, strategic upgrades can significantly enhance security without overwhelming the organization.

Choosing Quality Over Quantity

In any scenario, choosing quality foundational elements is more beneficial than opting for niche, limited-use options. This principle applies to Industrial Control Systems and Operational Technology, where the focus should be on quality basics that enable further investments and efficiency enhancements.

Seven Key Strategies for Enhanced OT Cybersecurity

1. Windows systems can be managed and hardened through native OS features such as Active Directory (AD) and Group Policy Objects (GPO).
2. Standardize and maintain hardened “golden” images for common asset types in your OT environment as a way to improve security going forward.
3. Deploy asset endpoint security strategies, including native OS functionality, anti-malware, backup software, policy enforcement agents, and application whitelisting to add extra compensating controls to hosts.
4. Virtualize a number of Windows systems and applications as a step towards moving to the cloud (should that ever happen) while improving hardware dependencies, reducing chances of failure, and improving backups/testing. Cloud or not, you will wish you had done it before in many situations.
5. Examine and enforce proper user account hygiene, policy, and maintenance on hosts, devices, and applications, especially on systems that are used for remote access/desktop or Virtual Private Network connections.
6. Use asset endpoint management strategies to enumerate all users, policies, applications, and logs for a host system and help administrators ensure their environments can be quickly interacted with, but also accurately synchronized with expectations (e.g., we have 0 end-of-life systems, but in reality, we have X). This is also critical for transient assets to be managed correctly when they operate in untrusted environments.
7. Modernize your network infrastructure for future increased usage of remote access (think Secure Remote Access), VLANs, micro-segmentation, and other separation measures used to secure your organization’s sites, zones, and conduits. Many of these features and assets can be monitored and controlled with endpoint management interactions, further helping them achieve their fullest security contribution over their operational lifetime.

These strategies represent areas for potential improvement, each varying in complexity and impact. Prioritizing low-budget, high-return initiatives can significantly benefit the organization’s overall security posture.

Ensuring Long-Term Success in OT Cybersecurity

In summary, effective OT cybersecurity hinges on wise investment and strategic utilization of resources. It’s not just about acquiring new technologies but maximizing the potential of existing ones. A focused approach to quality, utility, and risk-based strategies ensures that cybersecurity efforts are robust and sustainable.

The key lies in continuous assessment, prioritization of foundational elements, and adapting to evolving threats. The seven strategies outlined offer a practical framework for enhancing cybersecurity. By implementing these, organizations can create a secure environment that stands the test of time and evolving cyber threats.

Ultimately, the goal is to foster a culture of security that underpins every operation, ensuring resilience and reliability in our increasingly connected world.