Sure, the software has been heavily hit by cybercrime, and we have all seen the news: huge hacking jobs on social media companies, sensitive data stolen for sale, and so on. But did you know that a cyber attack on the technology of a power plant can shut the whole system down? Learn the dangers OT systems face, and how they can be prevented.
Online crime has been on the rise, and that’s why cybersecurity is so important, especially after the pandemic — with everybody, including companies, going remote, malicious actors found a new playground for disruption and money-making. But that’s not the only thing to worry about, anymore.
When you hear the expression, “working remotely”, what’s the first thing that comes to mind regarding security? Probably IT (information technology), which are the underlying systems on which most people work when doing so from their computers. This includes mostly software for anything, really, from writing to storing information, data processing to programming, and so on.
The increase in the number of people using the online world — not only for work, but also to shop, connect, trade, and so many other things — is an obvious luring factor for malicious acting, be it to steal money, or sensitive information from companies and individuals.
OT systems: what are they?
There is, however, an area that cybersecurity experts might’ve been overlooking: OT systems. Operational Technology refers to the underlying computing systems that, putting it very simply, make machines run. They are used in power plants, water treatment centers, oil and gas companies, and many other places to make things run.
While IT systems are designed to manage and process data, supporting business operations, communications, and decision-making processes, OTs are used to monitor and control physical processes, machinery, and industrial operations. They are usually in industrial settings such as machine and control rooms and are made of programmable logic controllers (PLCs), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, distributed control systems (DCS), and sensors and actuators. The main difference between ITs and OTs is that the first is data-centric (important to keep the integrity, and availability of information), and the second is operation-centric, crucial for the maintenance and real-time operation of actual machines and systems.
The convergence of both technologies is a hot topic right now, especially with the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), where IT is combined with physical objects (like homeware machines, fitness-tracking watches and bracelets, and home security systems). You can now schedule your house cleaning through an app on your phone that’s connected to your vacuum. What a wonderful world, right? However wonderful this may sound, the world of IoTs is also susceptible to crime. Let’s say you have a home security system that besides being connected to a security company, is also linked to your phone. Hackers can disengage the system by hacking into your mobile device and rob your home without you even noticing. Sounds alarming, right?
Dangers Laying in OT Systems
If the OT systems of these places shut down, it can compromise entire operations, leaving towns without water, electricity, or communications. There are still manual protocols in place for when they are eventually needed, but everything runs mostly on dedicated software, some of it remote. Hackers seem to have come to the same conclusion we did before: there are no strong security measures in place for some of these structures, which means they’re more easily “hackable” and corruptible. And there’s proof: just this year, Wisdiam reported dozens of attacks on water treatment centers and the telco sector all over the world, including the US, the UK, Australia, Spain, and Portugal. While some of them were classified as data breaches, others were intended to compromise the physical systems, and successfully. In March 2024, the hack on four Ukraine telecommunications providers left users without service for over a week. Earlier, in January, water and wastewater centers in four Texan cities were hit by a major attack that although controlled in time, ended with the overflow of one of the tanks.
It’s only natural to assume that hackers will become increasingly perceptive in finding new ways to hack into IT and OT systems. Compromising information technology can have some grave impacts, but they’re not necessarily physical. If the OT of a power plant is seriously compromised, it can leave thousands without electricity and heat. Most of the reported attacks were thankfully reverted thanks to manual protocols, but as technology advances and companies invest more and more in it, things might not always work for the best.
Preventing OT Attacks
There’s no magic pill to prevent cyber attacks, but there are things that people dealing with OTs can do to mitigate the risk. IT/OT convergence is very beneficial in some areas, but it demands more caution, as attacks can be perpetrated through the IT system to affect the OT.
- Network segmentation and isolation are two of the most important preventive measures: dividing the segments that perform different tasks will limit the spread of an attack. When possible, isolating the OT from an internet connection is also a good option, since it will be more difficult for hackers to enter the system.
- RBAC Implementation: Role-Based Access Control measures allow companies to define who accesses the machines and their systems — in this case, the less, the merrier. Multi-factor authentication can also be helpful.
- Regular updates, audits, and compliance: performing regular updates, requesting audits, and complying with standardized regulations go a long way as a first security step.
- Encryption methods: use encryption to protect sensitive data transmitted over OT networks, especially for remote access and external communications. VPN is also great for securing remote access to the machines.
- Physical access controls: implement physical access controls to secure OT environments, such as locked doors, security cameras, and access logs.
- Systems monitoring: Keep a close eye on all the OT systems and look out for abnormal behavior or security breach. Make sure the authorized personnel are equipped with all the knowledge necessary to prevent security issues.
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