Cybersecurity awareness remains low despite high profile attacks

While traditional manufacturing industries were not designed with security in mind, the proliferation of networks and devices, disparate communication channels and the use of off-the-shelf software has thrust cybersecurity into the spotlight. Safety and security concerns associated with the high levels of connectivity and integration are surfacing as the concept of the IoT takes shape in the industrial networks and manufacturing plant floors. The alarming frequency of sophisticated and targeted advanced persistent threats has given further weight to the safety argument across both process and discrete industries.

Sonia Francisco, Senior Research Analyst, Industrial Automation and Process Control, Frost & Sullivan, commented: “Enterprises currently employ a broad, layered approach towards protecting cyber assets while industry organisations work on establishing suitable standards. Partnerships among government, industry and research institutes will be vital in forming robust, industry-based standards that will speed up the development of comprehensive security management solutions.”

As the IoT concept transforms plant architecture, defence-by-default security strategies will give way to defence-by-design solutions. In-built security solutions that can sense, adapt, modify and respond to threats based on various ecosystem parameters will gain traction.

Creating industry- and application-specific solutions will also be crucial as IT solutions continue to stream into the operational technology space. Solution providers in the IT and the OT ecosystems must join hands to deploy end-to-end cyber security solutions for industrial systems.

"Such extensive integration will require a new age workforce with both IT and OT expertise. Cybersecurity service providers can provide training and change management solutions that will bridge the knowledge gap,” added Francisco.

As a majority of industries upgrade to smart systems and processes, industrial cybersecurity will soon make the inevitable shift from a reactive operating model to a proactive design philosophy.