Why is cybersecurity for operational technology so essential?
Together, we can increase the security status of your operational technology. With our advanced Cybersecurity for Operational Technology, Equans supports you in exploring, protecting, identifying, responding to, and remediating all the security systems within your industrial network. Within an ever-changing cybersecurity landscape, OT cybersecurity is of essential importance for guaranteeing the continued availability of your industrial installations.
What is the difference between IT cybersecurity and OT (operational technology) cybersecurity?
The difference between IT and OT cybersecurity can be found in the words themselves. The security priorities for each of these systems are different.
For example, in OT, the priorities related to availability will be very high; yet in IT, they are lower. For OT, real time is obviously critical, and the components will have lifespans that are longer than 20 years. An IT system accepts delays in real time, and its components need to be replaced sooner. IT cybersecurity will result in regular software updates. And this includes regular audits. The same cannot usually be said of OT.
Awareness of security issues in the realm of OT continues to grow, whereas security awareness in IT has by now matured and stabilised.
What are the risks to your company?
We recommend performing a cost-benefit analysis for a few scenarios in which the three risks (operational, financial, and reputational) become a reality in your company.
A customised cybersecurity solution will always be the most cost-effective choice.
Operational Risk
Operational Risk
- Production stop
- Loss of confidential data
- Physical damage to machinery and critical systems
Financial Risk
Financial Risk
- Ransom to be paid
- Repair costs and production losses
- Indirect costs such as legal liabilities and government sanctions (NIS2)
Reputational Risk
Reputational Risk
- Damage to your reputation in the eyes of customers and suppliers
- Logistical problems
Lifecycle of an OT security incident
Cost of an OT security incident
Equans as your OT cybersecurity partner
Our team
The OT cybersecurity team consists of specialised and certified experts who have extensive experience in various control systems and programs.
With our immense dedication to and passion for our field, we make sure to always keep abreast of the very latest developments, and we regularly exchange expertise with other professional specialists.
Specialist know-how
Specialist know-how
- Extensive experience with industrial networks, SCADA systems, PLCs, actuators and Internet of Things (IOT) devices
- Team of certified IEC 62443 security professionals specialising in industrial automation and control systems
- Continuous learning processes
- Knowledge hub for cybersecurity best practices
Security operations centre
Security operations centre
- OT cybersecurity assessments
- Security level calculations (SL-C & SL-A)
- Asset discovery & management
- Remote monitoring
- Patch management
- 24/7 intervention team
- Collaboration with leading cybersecurity experts
Tailor-made solutions and services
Tailor-made solutions and services
- Services customised to your timing and budget requirements.
- OT cybersecurity roadmap
- Training (awareness & best practices)
- Consultancy services
- Project-based solutions
Our services
✓ OT Cybersecurity assessments
Evaluation of the security status of your operational technology.
✓ Security level calculations
Calculation of security levels SL-C and SL-A
✓ Advice
Advice on implementable measures to reduce risks and increase security
✓ Asset discovery & management
Identification and management of network assets
✓ Remote monitoring
24/7 monitoring of system security and timely responses to potential threats
✓ Patch management
Management and implementation of patches to protect against known vulnerabilities
✓ 24/7 intervention team
Rapid intervention in security incidents and the implementation of proactive, damage-control measures
✓ IEC 62443 compliancy checks & advice related to applicable legislation (NIS2)
Our methodology
We employ a well-substantiated and clear-cut methodology to ensure the optimal security of your company.
That is why we always start by carefully documenting and prioritising all your business-critical systems and available resources. We then design, develop, and implement the necessary security measures.
We then identify irregular and/or suspicious activities early enough to respond adequately and effectively.
And finally, we guarantee rapid recovery from all cybersecurity incidents within the operational technology environment.
Purpose: document and prioritise business-critical systems and available resources.
The roadmap within the IDENTIFY category shows you how to efficiently identify gaps in your cyber security landscape. This will give you insights into risks and vulnerabilities, internal and external, and allow you to focus on areas of greatest impact with limited resources.
Assessments:
- Risk and vulnerability
- Network architecture
- Asset inventory
- Employee cyber security hygiene
We take into account:
- the specific context of the organisation:
- the industry in which the organisation operates
- the number and locations of branches
- the potential impact on both the organisation and its customers in the event of downtime or damage due to a cyber-attack
- government or industry compliance requirements
- the insurability of cyber security
- the impact of the environment
Purpose: design, develop and implement security measures that protect the systems, assets, applications, data, people and other critical components needed to deliver your critical services.
After you have identified the gaps via IDENTIFY and the priorities have been set, we start working on them. We want to avoid the presence of threat factors in your systems, which could cause serious damage to your systems.
Possible measures to achieve this are:
- updating the network design with a demilitarised zone (IDMZ) and segmentation
- continuous threat monitoring and auditing of the asset inventory
- identity and access controls (including secure remote access)
- management of removable media
- patching of operational technology
- employee awareness and training
- data security
- information protection processes and procedures
- incident response and recovery planning
Purpose: Early identification of anomalous and suspicious activities indicating possible attacks, failures or other security incidents within the industrial control system (ICS)
By closely monitoring the security status of OT systems and identifying anomalies in a timely manner, companies can protect their industrial processes and ensure the reliability and integrity of their OT infrastructure.
With continuous monitoring and advanced detection techniques, organisations can detect potential threats faster and respond proactively.
Implementing the DETECT category within OT cybersecurity requires the use of specific technologies and processes aimed at collecting, analysing and interpreting data from ICS environments.
Here, we consider
- monitoring network traffic
- analysing logs
- detecting unusual patterns or behaviour
- applying anomaly detection algorithms
Purpose: Adequate response to cybersecurity incidents in the operational technology (OT) environment.
Within the RESPOND category, we focus on developing and implementing effective measures to mitigate the impact of an incident, restore systems and address the causes of the incident.
The category provides guidelines and best-practices to develop a structured response strategy.
It includes activities such as
- identifying the nature and scope of an incident
- communicating with relevant stakeholders
- implementing temporary measures to prevent further damage
- restoring systems to a safe state
- analysing the incident to learn lessons and prevent future incidents
Purpose: Rapid recovery from a cybersecurity incident in operational technology (OT) environments.
For this, it focuses on minimising the impact of an incident, restoring normal operation of processes and implementing measures to prevent future incidents.
In OT cybersecurity, the recovery process is critical because it helps minimise the disruption of industrial processes, ensure continuity of operations and protect worker safety and the environment.
* Activities subdivided according to the NIST framework and aligned with the IEC-62443 standard
A few project references
Phase 1 - Inventory audit
Inventory of all OT assets on site:
As part of the OT Asset Inventory Audit, all technical assets on site dedicated to the production of the products or to the support of those production assets are inventoried. This includes, but is not limited to, all assets within production lines, utility areas (water treatment, wastewater treatment, CIP, lighting, building HVAC), power distribution, etc.
This phase includes performing updates, installing patches and upgrading firmware according to manufacturer recommendations and analysis/scoring by Equans.
Phase 2 - Backup collection
Collect software and configuration backups of all network-connected OT assets identified in phase 1.
Phase 3 - Versiondog
Set up and configure a dedicated software system for backup management and develop relevant procedures.
The primary objective of this project was to obtain a general overview of the cyber security level of the industrial OT systems within the organisation in anticipation of the upcoming NIS 2 regulation, all in line with the renowned IEC-62443 standards.
Phase 1 : Intake & scoping
During this phase, we worked closely with the on-site team to define the scope of the project, understand specific requirements and establish clear objectives for the assessment.
Phase 2 : OT Cybersecurity Assessment
The assessment phase included a comprehensive assessment of the OT industrial systems' security measures, network architecture, access controls and incident response protocols.
Phase 3 : OT Cybersecurity Status report
Upon completion of the assessment, we prepared a detailed status report with our findings, key observations and actionable recommendations. The status report serves as a valuable tool to help the organisation effectively improve its OT cybersecurity posture.
Upgrade & strengthening of existing supervision system with redesign of security and update management protocols.
24/7 service agreement
To ensure seamless operation and address any unforeseen challenges immediately, Equans has a comprehensive 24/7 service agreement. This agreement includes a dedicated team of support professionals who are immediately available to help with any technical issues.
Update management control & monitoring
Under the 24/7 service agreement, our team is also responsible for update management control and supervision. Equans ensures that all updates are thoroughly tested and applied with minimal disruption to plant operations. Our experts closely monitor the update process and ensure the stability and integrity of the system after each update.
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