OT Cybersecurity Advisory & Consulting
Strategic Services
Management Services
OT Cybersecurity Operating Procedures (CSOP)
This service entails developing comprehensive Cybersecurity Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) specifically tailored for OT environments. These SOPs are critical for establishing clear guidelines and routines for secure operations, maintenance, and response actions within OT networks.
Purpose: Ensures that all staff and teams operating in OT systems have a clear framework and protocols for secure day-to-day operations, reducing the likelihood of human error and enhancing overall security posture.
OT Incident Response Plan Development (IRP)
Customized Incident Response Plans (IRP) for OT environments, which cover detection, containment, eradication, and recovery steps in the event of a cyber incident.
Purpose: Integration of OT-specific response processes with existing IT incident management frameworks. This alignment with regulatory requirements and industry best practices ensures quick recovery and minimizes downtime, crucial for maintaining continuity in OT systems.
Benefits: Reduces the impact of incidents by having a predefined, structured approach to managing and mitigating OT-specific cybersecurity threats.
OT Tabletop Exercises and Cyber Drills (TTX)
These are scenario-based exercises designed to simulate scenarios that mimic potential threats which cause OT cybersecurity incidents.
Purpose: Test an organization’s readiness for handling OT cybersecurity incidents. And help teams practice and evaluate response strategies.
OT Cyber Attack Simulation Range
A controlled environment where simulated cyberattacks are conducted to assess and enhance the defense mechanisms of OT systems. This can include a variety of simulated attack scenarios to test resilience.
Purpose: Helps identify vulnerabilities in OT networks, devices, control systems, and processes, allowing organizations to reinforce their security measures based on real insights gained from these simulations.
Benefits: Provides practical insights into the OT security posture, allowing for strategic improvements and preparing the team to handle actual attacks with more confidence and effectiveness.
Technical Services
Technical Services focus on the hands-on, technical aspects of securing Operational Technology (OT) environments. These services are designed to cover cybersecurity lifecycle phases (Assess, Implement and Maintain) by identifying vulnerabilities, ensuring asset visibility, reviewing network architecture, and assessing cybersecurity risks, providing a thorough approach to fortifying OT systems.
OT Asset Discovery
Rationale: Asset discovery provides visibility into all devices within the OT environment, ensuring that every component is cataloged and accounted for. Different aspects of asset discovery contribute to a thorough understanding of OT assets.
- Network Traffic Analysis: Monitors data flow across the network to detect all active devices, providing insight into device communication and identifying potentially unauthorized connections.
- Active Probing and Fingerprinting: Gathers detailed information on each device, including types, configurations, and software versions, enabling precise identification and categorization.
- Firewall Log Analysis: Reviews firewall logs to identify all connected devices and detect unusual network activity, supporting threat detection and device monitoring.
- OT Asset Inventory Development: Establishes a comprehensive, regularly updated inventory of all OT assets, ensuring full visibility of the OT environment for better asset tracking and management.
Purpose: Asset discovery provides foundational visibility, allowing for better monitoring and management of OT assets. This visibility is critical for effective cybersecurity as it enables quick identification of vulnerable or compromised devices.
OT Network Security Architecture Review
Rationale: This service reviews the overall network design to ensure it adheres to best security practices. Key components include:
- OT Security Architecture: Ensures that the network’s structure protects critical assets through segmentation and layered defenses.
- Security Zoning and Conduits: Defines zones with varying security levels and monitors conduits that connect these zones, controlling data flow between them.
- Purdue Model Compliance: Aligns network architecture with the Purdue Model, a standard framework for industrial control systems (ICS).
- Communication Flow and Restriction of Data Flow Analysis: Manages data flow between network segments, limiting unauthorized access and preventing potential data leaks.
Purpose: Provides a strong foundation for security by creating a well-segmented and controlled network architecture, reducing attack surfaces and preventing the lateral movement of threats within the OT environment.
OT Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing (OT VAPT)
Rationale: OT VAPT identifies and tests vulnerabilities within OT systems through both automated scans and manual penetration tests. Different types of VAPT cover various aspects of OT environments.
- IT-OT Integration VAPT: Analyzes vulnerabilities where IT and OT networks intersect, addressing the unique security challenges posed by this integration.
- OT-DMZ Lateral Movement: Evaluates the risk of lateral movement within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates IT and OT networks.
- OT L3 Penetration Testing: Focuses on Level 3 (manufacturing operations) in the Purdue Model, assessing security at this critical Purdue model level.
- Secure Remote VPN Testing: Tests the security of VPN configurations used for remote access to OT systems, an essential but potentially vulnerable access point.
Purpose: Identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities, VAPT minimizes potential entry points for attackers, helping prioritize security improvements across the OT environment.
OT Cybersecurity Risk Assessment
Rationale: A thorough evaluation of cybersecurity risks within OT systems, covering potential threats, vulnerabilities, and the potential impact on operations. This assessment includes:
- OT Governance and SOP (Standard Operating Procedures): Establishes governance structures and SOPs for consistent and regulated cybersecurity practices in OT environments.
- Control Process Inventory: Maintains an inventory of all control processes, ensuring each process is properly secured and monitored.
- OT Asset Management: Catalogs and manages all OT assets, including hardware and software, to ensure visibility and effective cybersecurity measures.
- OT Security Architecture: Reviews the structural design of OT systems to ensure they are aligned with cybersecurity best practices, including zoning and layered defenses.
- Network Security Zoning and Conduits: Controls and monitors data movement between different segments, limiting the potential spread of cyber threats.
- Vulnerability and Patch Management: Identifies vulnerabilities and ensures that timely patches are applied, even within OT environments where uptime is critical.
- OT Threat Detection and Response: Detects and responds to cyber threats targeting OT systems with advanced detection technologies.
- Security Assurance Levels: Establishes appropriate security levels for different parts of the network based on the criticality of the assets within each zone.
Purpose: Provides cost effective cybersecurity solutions based on the criticality of OT environment and prioritize available resources from budget and time to secure critical assets.
Secure Implementation and Hardening
Rationale: Applying best practices to strengthen OT systems against cyber threats by securing configurations, enforcing strict access controls, and monitoring anomalies. This implementation includes:
- Configuration and Hardening Controls:Â Involves configuring OT devices and hardening them to resist cyber threats by disabling unnecessary features and securing default settings.
- Obsolescence Management:Â Identifies outdated systems or devices that no longer receive security updates, implementing protective measures or replacing them as necessary.
- Operator Access and Identity Management:Â Controls and manages access to OT systems, ensuring only authorized personnel have the necessary permissions.
- Removable Media Control:Â Regulates the use of removable media to prevent malware introduction and unauthorized data transfer.
- Change Management:Â Controls changes within the OT environment to ensure they do not introduce new vulnerabilities.
- Backup and Recovery Controls:Â Establishes regular data backups and recovery processes to restore operations quickly in case of a cyber incident.
- Monitoring, Event, and Alarm Management:Â Monitors OT systems for anomalies, logs events, and triggers alarms for quick response to potential threats.
- OT Anomaly Detection:Â Identifies deviations from normal behavior within OT systems to quickly detect potential threats.
- Secure Remote Access:Â Ensures secure methods for authorized personnel to access OT systems remotely, critical for maintenance and support.
- Malware Protection and Application Whitelisting:Â Implements defenses against malware and restricts application execution to approved software, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
Purpose: Ensure the maximum effectiveness of available security solutions, along with real-time monitoring and business continuity for the OT environment.