Overcoming Pitfalls and Securing the Future
At this point, there are lessons to be learned from the challenges of the past—missed opportunities to address emerging threats, or security plans that fell short of truly comprehensive protection.
OT cybersecurity is no exception, with hard-won lessons that come from missteps typically rooted in either inaction or reliance on outdated strategies. With that in mind, this section looks at avoidable traps that organizations have fallen into, with the mindset that these are lessons that won’t need to be repeated. From complacency driven by a false sense of security to challenges in patch management and asset visibility, these pitfalls stem from both underestimating threats (and their sophisticated actors) and overestimating the effectiveness of past strategies. This chapter will identify these common mistakes and explain how they manifest in OT environments, offering practical solutions for building stronger defenses.
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Perception vs. Reality
Overcoming False Security and Achieving True OT Cybersecurity
A critical contradiction in current OT cybersecurity lies in the disparity between organizational satisfaction with their security strategies and the actual threats they face. According to this survey, 95% of organizations are satisfied or highly satisfied with their OT cybersecurity status, indicating widespread confidence in their existing strategies to address threats. However, 67% of these organizations have experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past 12 months.
This disconnect highlights a concerning level of “false sense of security,” where organizations believe their defenses are sufficient despite concrete evidence to the contrary. Such incidents, including ransomware attacks, APT infiltrations, and vulnerability exploits, demonstrate that threats continue to penetrate security measures. This complacency may stem from outdated security measures or insufficient awareness of emerging threats, leading organizations to underestimate the importance of adopting more proactive and forward-looking approaches.
Figure 4.1. Overlap of OT Cyber Incidents and High Cybersecurity Satisfaction: A Contradiction
The Need for Comprehensive Security Upgrades
The protective capabilities of OT systems have significant room for improvement. Organizations must critically reassess their existing security frameworks and implement necessary upgrades, including:
By partnering with TXOne Networks, organizations can move beyond a false sense of security to embrace proactive defense strategies.
Advanced Threat Detection
Incorporate real-time monitoring and analytics to identify emerging threats.
Enhanced Protective Tools
Leverage next-generation tools specifically designed for OT environments.
Specialized Technical Support
Employ expertise tailored to the unique challenges of OT systems.
Budget Alone is Not Enough
The Challenges of Implementation
Budget constraints are not the primary barrier to OT cybersecurity. In fact, according to the survey, 87% of organizations will increase their OT cybersecurity budget, with 64% of CISOs reporting moderate budget growth for OT cybersecurity (10%-20%), while 23% reported significant increases (over 20%).
Only 1% of organizations experienced budget reductions, indicating that OT cybersecurity is widely recognized as a strategic business priority.
Organizations increasingly view OT security as critical to operational efficiency and risk management. Rising ransomware and APT attacks have driven increased investment, demonstrating its growing importance across industries.
QF2: How has your company’s OT cybersecurity budget changed compared to last year?
Figure 4.2. OT Cybersecurity Budget Changes, Compared to Previous Year
The Real Challenge: Implementing Cybersecurity Measures
Despite increased budgets, implementation challenges hinder the effective deployment of security measures.
Key obstacles include:
Limited Downtime for Continuous Operations
of CISOs cited the need for uninterrupted OT system operations as a major constraint. Limited system downtime makes it difficult to implement security updates or deploy new technologies without disrupting normal operations.
Insufficient Integration Across Departments
of security leaders highlighted the need for cross-department collaboration, particularly between security teams and operations teams. Communication barriers and misaligned priorities between these groups often slow down or complicate the execution of security strategies.
Shortage of OT Cybersecurity Expertise
of security leaders identified a lack of specialized OT cybersecurity talent as a significant challenge. This skills gap complicates the implementation of security plans and the selection of appropriate technologies for OT environments.
Addressing the Challenges
To overcome these barriers, organizations must focus on converting resources into actionable solutions.
Strategies include:
1
Optimizing Operational Windows
Schedule security updates and technology deployments during planned maintenance periods to minimize operational disruptions. For environments with limited downtime, make use of solutions like virtual patching.
2
Enhancing Cross-Functional Collaboration
Foster better communication and alignment between security and operations teams through unified project management and shared objectives. Develop cross-functional task forces to address OT security challenges collectively.
3
Investing in Expertise and Training
Recruit and train specialized OT cybersecurity professionals to bridge the knowledge gap. Partner with external experts to accelerate the implementation of advanced security measures.
1. Optimizing Operational Windows
Schedule security updates and technology deployments during planned maintenance periods to minimize operational disruptions. For environments with limited downtime, make use of solutions like virtual patching.
2. Enhancing Cross-Functional Collaboration
Foster better communication and alignment between security and operations teams through unified project management and shared objectives. Develop cross-functional task forces to address OT security challenges collectively.
3. Investing in Expertise and Training
Recruit and train specialized OT cybersecurity professionals to bridge the knowledge gap. Partner with external experts to accelerate the implementation of advanced security measures.
QD1: What is the most significant challenge your organization faces when implementing an OT cybersecurity program? (Rank Top 3)
Figure 4.3. Key Challenges in OT Cybersecurity Program Implementation
Secure by Design
The Necessity of Tailored Solutions
The architectural and operational differences between IT and OT systems make it difficult to directly apply traditional IT security measures to OT environments. This presents a significant challenge for organizations defending against malware and ransomware attacks. An additional hurdle lies in network segmentation, which often requires extensive infrastructure adjustments in OT environments.
The Unique Demands of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)
In CPS environments, generic security designs often fail to address the specific requirements of unique applications. Each OT system has distinct functionalities, processes, and risks, making customized security solutions critical. Tailored solutions allow CISOs or plant managers to:
Flexibly enable or disable specific features based on operational needs.
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Precisely determine what to deploy, where to deploy it, and when to deploy it.
This flexibility ensures that security designs effectively address the unique challenges of each OT system, avoiding operational disruptions or vulnerabilities caused by the incompatibility of generic designs.
QB2: What are the main challenges your organization faces in defending against malware and ransomware attacks in OT environments?
(Rank Top 3)
Figure 4.4. Challenges in Defending Against Malware and Ransomware Attacks
Future Priorities
Supply Chain Audits and Third-Party Risk Management
43% of respondents identified supply chain audits and third-party risk management as critical strategies for defending against malware and ransomware. This focus is even more pronounced in the oil and gas sector, where 47% of organizations emphasize these strategies due to their heavy reliance on third-party vendors and equipment. The complex and interconnected nature of the industry amplifies the potential impact of supply chain breaches, making robust audits and risk assessments indispensable.
QB5: What strategies does your organization use to prevent the spread of malware and ransomware in its OT environments?
Figure 4.5. Strategies to Prevent Malware and Ransomware in OT Environment
Enhancing OT Asset Visibility
Only 25% of organizations have achieved comprehensive endpoint monitoring for all OT assets, highlighting a significant gap. While 72% of organizations rely on partial monitoring, this leaves notable visibility gaps in their OT environments, preventing them from fully understanding the security status of critical assets. A further 3% of organizations conduct manual checks sporadically, emphasizing several critical issues:
Without a comprehensive understanding of critical assets, organizations cannot accurately assess vulnerabilities or potential threats.
QD3: How does your organization currently monitor activity on OT Assets?
Figure 4.6. Current Level of OT Asset Monitoring
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Insufficient Visibility
Many organizations lack full visualization of their OT environments, leaving gaps in threat awareness.
Incomplete Asset Inventory
An incomplete understanding of assets leads to key systems being overlooked, making them primary targets for attackers.
Inadequate Monitoring Capabilities
Current monitoring tools fail to meet OT security needs, particularly for diverse and complex OT equipment.
1. Insufficient Visibility
Many organizations lack full visualization of their OT environments, leaving gaps in threat awareness.
2. Incomplete Asset Inventory
An incomplete understanding of assets leads to key systems being overlooked, making them primary targets for attackers.
3. Inadequate Monitoring Capabilities
Current monitoring tools fail to meet OT security needs, particularly for diverse and complex OT equipment.
Achieving Comprehensive Asset Visibility
To address hidden asset challenges, achieving full visibility into OT environments is essential for effective plant safety management. Through deploying CPS (Cyber-Physical Systems) security management platforms, organizations can:
- Manage Asset Lifecycles: Track all assets and ensure complete inventory management.
- Prioritize Vulnerabilities: Use data-driven insights and unique scoring algorithms to address the most critical vulnerabilities first.
- Enable Rapid Threat Response: Ensure all assets are within effective monitoring and management scopes, allowing swift action to prevent security incidents while maintaining production continuity and safety.
Proactive Asset Behavior Analysis
Monitoring and analyzing asset behavior changes is vital for early detection of potential threats in OT environments. By establishing a baseline of normal asset behavior, organizations can:
- Detect anomalous activities or potential threats early, particularly against “Living off the Land” attacks, which exploit internal resources.
- Implement proactive defense strategies to address threats before they escalate into major incidents, enhancing overall OT system security.
The first line of defense consists of traditional IT firewalls, which block threats originating from IT systems or the Internet. The second line of defense involves firewalls specifically designed for OT. If the OT firewalls fail to effectively mitigate threats, it is critical to deploy an endpoint security solution. Doing so empowers organizations to:
- Detect and respond to potential malicious activities.
- Predict attacker pathways, protecting against both known and unknown malware.
- Optimize system operational accuracy without compromising availability.
- Prevent unauthorized changes to devices through configuration lock.
- Enhance detection and response capabilities by monitoring deviations from expected asset behavior with behavior baselines.
Implementing Patch Management Strategies
OT encompasses hardware and software designed to monitor and control physical equipment, processes, and events within organizations. These systems are typically built for longevity, often operating for over a decade. Many OT assets still rely on outdated platforms, such as Windows XP, released more than 20 years ago.
Why are factory managers hesitant to modernize these assets? It’s not due to ignorance of cybersecurity risks—in fact, managers are acutely aware of them. Instead, the challenge lies in balancing cybersecurity with other factors, such as continuous operations.
Challenges in OT Patch Management
Due to the need for uninterrupted operations, applying patches and updates becomes complex. Downtime required for updates is costly and risky, particularly for safety-critical systems. Delayed patching leaves OT systems exposed to known vulnerabilities, which attackers often exploit through trusted connection points, such as supply chains, to infiltrate OT environments in critical infrastructure.
Strategies like relying solely on monitoring and compensating controls prolong exposure to vulnerabilities, increasing organizational risk. Delaying patches is particularly dangerous, as attackers often exploit vulnerabilities before updates are released.
Top three critical challenges to patching OT environments
of organizations rely on enhanced monitoring and intrusion detection when patches are unavailable, a temporary solution that fails to resolve the underlying vulnerability.
of organizations use compensating controls (e.g., network segmentation, system hardening) to mitigate the impact of vulnerabilities.
of organizations delay patch updates until vendor support is available, which increases the window of vulnerability to potential attacks.
Zero-Impact Cyber Defense
To enhance security resilience, organizations must adopt comprehensive asset management strategies and compensating controls when patches are unavailable. OT networks require zero-impact defense, where security measures do not negatively affect production processes. Key strategies include:
Virtual Patching
Apply virtual patches to address vulnerabilities quickly without disrupting production processes. This ensures stable and resilient network defenses while awaiting official updates as it closes the window of vulnerability.
Strengthening Network Access Control
Use industrial communication protocols and specific IP policies to control network traffic. Enhance packet analysis to prevent lateral movement or reconnaissance by attackers.
Enhancing Internal Security Awareness
Train staff to recognize and mitigate potential threats, incorporating a cybersecurity perspective into daily operations.
Defining Essential Communication
Establish clear rules for necessary and unnecessary communication based on asset properties. Segment OT networks into smaller, manageable zones to enhance defense capabilities.
Collaborating with Vendors
Work closely with vendors to address vulnerabilities and ensure timely support.
Full Lifecycle Asset Protection
Protecting OT systems requires a lifecycle approach encompassing each of the following phases:
1
Asset Installation
Make sure that initial configurations meet security inspection standards.
2
Continuous Software Configuration Changes
Maintain adaptability to evolving operational environments.
3
Rigorous Testing of Updates
Unlike IT systems that often rely on automated updates, OT updates must undergo strict testing to avoid disruptions to production processes.
4
Legacy Systems Protection
Even EOL assets must be safeguarded. A full lifecycle management strategy ensures that assets remain secure and reliable throughout their operational lifespan.
5
End-to-End Data Integrity
Secure data transfers, including those using portable media for remote maintenance or updates. Protect data flows from external systems to OT machines, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of all transmitted files and information.
