OT & Industrial Organizations Are Increasingly Being Attacked

Hey there! We all know that we’re living in a constantly transforming, digital age, and along with that, there’s a hefty rise in cyberattacks. Specifically, the ones attacking our crucial operational technology (OT) outlets have seen a massive increase—up a whopping 87% last year!

The surge in these cyberattacks isn’t much of a surprise. Many offenders are getting pretty crafty, finding innovative ways to infiltrate our operational technology units. Don’t get me wrong – we do get a fair share of outright attacks on OT, just like the notorious EKANS ransomware attack on Honda back in 2020. But sometimes, they take unconventional routes, leveraging business networks tied to better-protected assets.

The catch here? The expansion and diversity of the OT attack surface. Yup, that’s where the pitfalls lie. With a persistent connection to corporate TCP/IP networks and OT assets plugging into the business network, it’s easy to see how cyber offenders can make their move.

And as we’re trying to keep up with a rapidly digitizing world, we’re also unintentionally creating fertile ground for attackers. Pair that with legacy security issues, and we’ve got a massive challenge on our hands. It’s like leaving your front door wide open and expecting no one to waltz in uninvited.

On top of that, many of us are quick to realize that a one-size-fits-all method doesn’t quite cut it when it comes to securing OT systems. Having an intense passion for strong security protocols doesn’t directly translate into a foolproof defense. This disconnect is more than apparent when we try to deploy our well-meaning security measures. Picture a mouse trying to fit through a tiny hole—can’t quite squeeze through, can it?

Efficiently tackling these threats isn’t a walk in the park either. It calls for some serious strategies, like avoiding false alerts. This is critical as OT environments can’t afford to have downtime due to erroneous warnings. Further, to add to the complexity, we need to ensure an effective distribution of defense measures across intricate network topologies. Then, there’s the formidable challenge of halting high-level threats from moving incessantly between business and OT systems.

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Most scanning-based solutions, like endpoint detection and response (EDR), don’t quite fit the bill, as they’re ill-suited to these challenges. They depend majorly on consistent telemetry for updates and threat detection — a luxury we can’t always afford in air-gapped situations. These tools also tend to hog the available computing resources while scanning for malware hooks or possible trouble.

Moreover, these offerings often fail to detect elusive attacks. We even went into a deep dive on this in a previous blog, and the gist is many threats don’t leave signatures behind for such detection tools to latch on to. You can liken it to an enemy spy operating in a hidden corner during wartime – they’re there, but you just can’t see them. Plus, they can’t typically handle the variety of legacy operating systems, hardware, and applications that make up a standard OT environment.

In our current, fast-paced digital society, we need a solution like Automated Moving Target Defense (AMTD). AMTD is light as a feather while being on guard round the clock. It doesn’t need an internet connection or a scanner and thrives in isolated or low-bandwidth environments. It’s like having an invisible, invincible superhero guarding your systems.

What sets AMTD apart is its intelligent strategy of continually mixing up the runtime memory environment to throw off attackers. It also leaves behind decoy traps to double bluff trouble.

When you look at it, the cyber threats solar systems face are essentially like shape-shifters – they don’t follow a specific pattern and are usually unknown and dynamic. So, it’s crucial for us to stay on our toes, keeping pace with this transforming landscape. Prevention is the best approach, and AMTD proves to be an effective tool for the task.

I hope this conversation enlightened you on the importance of fortifying the cybersecurity measures in the OT environment. Stay safe out there and remember, prevention is better than cure!

by Morgan Phisher