What is OT Security?

Gartner defines OT security as, “Practices and technologies used to (a) protect people, assets, and information, (b) monitor and/or control physical devices, processes and events, and (c) initiate state changes to enterprise OT systems.” OT security solutions include a wide range of security technologies from next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) to security information and event management (SIEM) systems to identity access and management, and much more.

Traditionally, OT cyber security was not necessary because OT systems were not connected to the internet. As such, they were not exposed to outside threats. As digital innovation (DI) initiatives expanded and IT OT networks converged, organizations tended to bolt-on specific point solutions to address specific issues. These approaches to OT security resulted in a complex network where solutions could not share information and provide full visibility.

Often, IT and OT networks are kept separate, duplicating security efforts and eschewing transparency. These IT OT networks cannot track what is happening throughout the attack surface. Typically, OT networks report to the COO and IT networks report to the CIO, resulting in two network security teams each protecting half of the total network. This can make it difficult to identify the boundaries of the attack surface because these disparate teams do not know what is attached to their own network. In addition to being difficult to efficiently manage, OT IT networks contain huge gaps in security.

Digital innovation requires operational technology systems to interact with information technology systems. OT network components like control systems, SCADA, and industrial networks are being connected to IT network components such as processors, storage, and systems management. With IT-OT integration, the data collected by physical equipment and IIOT devices can be used to identify problems or increase efficiencies. Another example according to IDC, is that customer interaction and service case information typically found in a CRM application, when aligned to the customer experience, can then be used to make improvements in supply chain, operations, and product development. 

However, connecting a previously air-gapped (not connected to the outside world) OT network to the internet via an IT network immediately exposes the OT network and all connected OT devices to the entire threat landscape. OT is generally not secure, since it was originally designed with the assumption it would not be exposed to threats. In addition, the rise of remote access to OT networks by third-party vendors further expands the attack surface and creates new vulnerabilities.

The industrial cybersecurity market, which includes ICS, network security, and other components of the converged IT-OT network, is estimated to reach more than $24 billion by 2023. It is a highly competitive and fast-growing area as OT systems are increasingly targeted by cyber-attacks.

According to a recent OT survey, 70% of OT organizations plan to roll OT security under the CISO in the next year (only 9% of CISOs oversee it currently), and 62% of OT security budgets are being increased.

When evaluating a security vendor, determine whether the vendor can offer solutions that will help OT companies achieve best practices for securing their networks. For converged networks, an ideal IT-OT security solution’s top five requirements are to:

For more details on OT security best practices, read the eBook. 

The key is to make sure the solution can proactively limit risk in OT networks. While breaches cannot be stopped 100% of the time, they can be limited through network segmentation, detected faster through traffic analysis, and minimized in frequency through identity and access management, and wired and wireless access control. Following these best practices not only stops threats, but also greatly reduces the cost and potential downtime if an attacker is able breach an OT network.

Fortinet provides a proactive and transformative approach to OT security with the Fortinet Security Fabric. Instead of disparate point products operating in silos, the Fortinet Security Fabric enables multiple OT security technologies to work together across IT and OT environments. With full integration and shared threat intelligence, operational technology organizations gain fast, automated responses to attacks in any vector. One solution covers the entire converged IT-OT network to close OT security gaps, deliver full visibility, and provide simplified management.