Enhance your company’s operational technology safety with the help of IoT platforms that help monitor applications within your network.
As a silent force behind industrial operations, operational technology (OT) keeps workflows running in industries. OT consists of computers and devices that control machinery and other physical parts.
OT security protects these devices using various measures. Many companies employ OT secure remote access software to establish a secure connection between OT and their operators.
The software helps them manage users and their access privileges while monitoring behaviors for threats. Usually, an IT or security team manages these platforms in industrial environments.
OT security keeps industrial devices and systems safe from threats and vulnerabilities. It focuses on critical areas such as access privileges, fixing vulnerabilities, and training employees to follow best security practices.
Companies must ensure that only authorized people can access these systems. One way to protect them is to use multiple authentication methods. Biometric data like fingerprints can help add a second layer of authentication.
On the software front, OT software should be regularly updated to fix any vulnerabilities. Additionally, it is advisable to use antivirus programs and firewalls to block any malicious attempt to compromise OT security.
However, these measures would be useless if employees don’t recognize the need for security. It is critical that all employees understand the impact of a breach and are well-trained to report when they observe anything unusual.
Many industrial systems rely on older equipment built with limited connections. As these systems become interconnected, their attack surface expands, luring hackers into exploiting them.
Many organizations have these devices connected to the internet but lack secure remote access, making the whole system susceptible to cyber attacks. Weak passwords further aggravate security risks that could cause disruptions if exploited by threat actors.
Operational technology security is crucial for safeguarding critical infrastructure and industrial processes. OT systems control everything from power plants and water treatment facilities to manufacturing plants and transportation networks. A cyberattack on these systems can have severe consequences, including:
The objective of OT security is to keep operations safe and reliable. It protects physical processes and devices like industrial control systems (ICS), sensors, and actuators against threats. These systems work on legacy technology that promises stability but keeps connectivity limited.
On the other hand, IT security looks after the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. It prevents unauthorized access to information and keeps data safe.
IT is an organization's brain that manages data flow and communication. Whereas OT is more of a muscle controlling physical processes. Historically, these systems have operated separately for security reasons. However, industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology has brought them together for better efficiency.
As IT and OT became closer, ICS accessible over an IT/OT network became susceptible to attack. These systems are vulnerable to botnets that attackers leverage to compromise critical infrastructure. When exposed to internet-facing business networks, the human-machine interface (HIM) that connects ICS to operators is also susceptible to IP-based vulnerabilities.
Below are a few IP-based vulnerabilities you need to look out for.
Attackers can use generic malware or specialized malicious software to attack ICS and critical infrastructure. These attacks cause denial-of-service and pause industrial operations. Attackers can also target IIoT devices connected with ICS using ransomware to compromise confidential information.
IT/OT convergence can be secured by implementing security standards, patching, and other measures. Otherwise, the consequences can be as severe as triggering a nuclear power plant explosion by breaching their safety systems.
Operational technology security frameworks offer a structured approach to securing ICS and mitigating cybersecurity risks.
Some popular frameworks include:
A well-conducted operational technology security risk assessment will help companies understand their effectiveness in recognizing and mitigating security risks.
In this phase, companies should gather as much information as possible on the current state of OT security. They should talk to key personnel about policies and procedures followed and gather data on network design and diagrams. Asset inventory and access management processes should also be checked to find critical gaps and issues securing operation technology.
In this phase, companies should use endpoint detection and response software to gather information on endpoints and network devices. Next, a penetration test should be set up to find vulnerabilities across the system. The test findings should, then, be correlated with the gaps and issues discovered in the first phase.
Risks should be made priority and a plan to mitigate them should be kept in place. Further, this plan must be reviewed with leadership to align on a reasonable trade-off between security, costs, and operation disruptions. Finally, a process should be created to check progress and update the roadmap with continuous refinement.
Ensuring OT security is tricky since companies need to work with outdated systems that are not made for an interconnected world. However, a few best practices can be followed to keep OT secure and safe against threats.
OT security faces several challenges, including:
OT secure remote access software ensures safe remote connections between operators and OT environments. It helps control who can access the OT and monitor anomalies that indicate a threat.
To qualify for inclusion in the OT secure remote access software list, a product must:
*These are the five leading OT secure remote access software on G2 as of April 2024. Some reviews might have been edited for clarity.
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access lets a company manage vendor and internal privileged remote access securely and without a VPN. It controls third-party access and internal remote operations, allowing secure connectivity to crucial systems.
“This is among the easiest-to-setup solutions I have ever helped deploy. On top of that, it was an absolute lifesaver when it came to helping maintain our SLAs during our extended WFH period during the pandemic.”
- BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access Review, Sean S.
“NERC CIP requires us to constantly check our devices for compliance. Our BeyondTrust PRA units are so secure that we can't connect to them through traditional means such as SSH or Powershell. Advancements have been made with the API, but we are left with a little more to be desired in the department of compliance automation.”
- BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access Review, Chase C.
Dispel offers robust remote access solutions for ICS or OT infrastructure. It combines unified identity and access management (IAM) with advanced security features like logging, session recording, and disposable systems to safeguard against ransomware and malware.
“Dispel prioritizes security above all else. The product ensures a highly secure environment with its built-in multi-factor authentication (MFA) and approval workflow capabilities. It is easy to deploy and administer and convenient for onboarding OEMs. The user experience is seamless, making navigating and utilizing the product's features effortless.
In addition to its exceptional features, Dispel offers an outstanding after-sales service. The company goes above and beyond to provide a great customer experience. They demonstrate flexibility and act as true partners, attentively listening to their customers' needs and consistently enhancing the product based on valuable feedback. Their commitment to continuous improvement ensures that customers receive the best possible service.”
- Dispel Review, Juliano G.
“Initiating the remote connection did not work for me a few times, so I had to contact Dispel support to resolve it.”
- Dispel Review, Nitesh K.
Appgate SDP provides a comprehensive zero trust network access solution that improves security across various user, device, and workload environments. It addresses complex threats and improves operational efficiency while helping to cut costs. It serves over 650 organizations, including government agencies and major global enterprises.
“It will connect automatically on startup of our PC or laptop. It has a simple and easy user interface: just one click is enough to connect to any highly secured VPN provider. Its user interface and options make it such a fast application. It has much availability and scalability to connect to the network.”
- Appgate SDP Review, Manikanta R.
“Dashboard lacks information, which makes it difficult to identify connectivity issues with nodes. Moreover, the centralized management for user access and control doesn't meet expectations, in terms of efficiency.”
- Appgate SDP Review, Juan H.
Armis manages and reduces cyber risk across an organization's entire attack surface in real time. It provides continuous monitoring and management of all critical assets while maintaining safety and security around the clock.
“Tapping our backbone switches on each branch office allowed us to discover types of traffic we could not see through our firewalls. It helped me discover a rogue domain controller within a separate VLAN.”
- Armis Review, Dor A.
“It's web-based and has no option for an Android or iOS app. Having an app would be a huge advantage for people in the field. Since it is web-based, there is no backup option if the internet is disrupted.”
- Armis Review, Chinthaka J.
Claroty improves the security of OT, IoT, and IIoT assets by offering comprehensive visibility, threat detection, risk management, and secure remote access. It integrates smoothly with existing customer infrastructure to offer cybersecurity controls that reduce overall ownership costs.
“In my opinion, clarity is very good for cybersecurity. It solves critical problems like it detects real-time issues or vulnerability and after detecting the problem it helps us to take required actions to prevent any risk.”
- Claroty Review, Sonam K.
“Deployment process is a bit heavy lifting.”
- Claroty Review, Avi B.
Protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats in industrial environments. Ensure OT systems are always safe and protected against external or internal threats to avoid accidents and disruption in daily operations.
As these systems become increasingly connected, OT security has become a priority for companies to maintain public trust.
Enhance your company’s operational technology safety with the help of IoT platforms that help monitor applications within your network.