Strategic Insights: Elevating Operational Technology (OT) Security for Today and Beyond

In the ever-evolving landscape of industrial cybersecurity, 2024 promises to be a year marked by transformative trends and insightful predictions. As we navigate through the intricacies of mitigating operational risk, it's imperative to discern the emerging dynamics shaping the OT security realm.

Trend 1: Advanced Visibility Beyond Nodes

Illuminate, Document, Prioritize

Visibility remains a cornerstone in OT security investments. Beyond merely identifying network nodes, comprehensive asset documentation, legacy device differentiation, and prioritized risk assessment based on operational risk are now paramount. Understanding industrial protocols and their use cases elevates visibility from a mere flashlight to a strategic security foundation.

Trend 2: The Full-Court Press of Attack Surface Management

Beyond Perimeter Defenses

Zero trust, defense in depth, and compensating controls necessitate a holistic approach to security. Defensible architectures, precise network segmentation, robust incident response planning, and the assumption that compromise is inevitable define this trend. Operating under these assumptions, defenders can anticipate adversarial behavior throughout networks, systems, and devices.

Trend 3: Supply Chain Complexity and Exacerbated Risk

Lifecycle Impact on Risk Tolerance

The lifecycle of each product profoundly influences an organization's risk tolerance and mean time to recover (MTTR). IT/OT interoperability introduces challenges in both upstream and downstream supply chain risk. Understanding potential hardware and software compromises within the supply chain becomes crucial, given the complexities of heterogeneous control systems intolerant to downtime.

Prediction 1: The Surge in Cloud Adoption

Risk-to-Reward Transformation

Cloud adoption, once a gradual shift, is now a pivotal step. The risk-to-reward analysis increasingly favors scalability, flexible services, cost optimization, and storage capacity. As concerns like data sovereignty and regulatory limitations diminish, the security landscape undergoes a transformative shift. Behavioural analytics in security products will play a pivotal role in categorizing network events and identifying security incidents within the cloud.

Prediction 2: Growth in OT Workforce & Talent

Filling Critical Gaps

Despite the promises of artificial intelligence in reshaping cybersecurity practices, the workforce and talent gaps in industrial cybersecurity persist. The year 2024 is poised to witness the creation of entry-level positions in this space, catering to asset owners and Security Operations Centers (SOCs). Roles encompass a spectrum from senior-level management to technical system engineers, analysts, and specialized positions.

Prediction 3: Rise in Adversary Emulation Activities

Understanding Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs)

Adversary emulation in OT and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) takes center stage. Traditionally a testing ground for security professionals, the tools available for emulation, such as Caldera and MITRE's GitHub platform, bring new dimensions to security assessments. This expansion will lead to informed risk tolerance and mitigation decisions, as organizations delve deeper into understanding adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Conclusion: Metrics as the North Star

Guiding Improvement, Collaboration, Dedication

In a realm where no two operational environments are identical, metrics emerge as the beacon of progress. Different categories of security warrant distinct metrics. For evolving threats, intelligence, information sharing, and vulnerability disclosure metrics prove crucial. Security practices align with frameworks like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, offering organizations flexibility in selecting controls. Vendor dynamics find expression in metrics related to asset-level ICS threat detection, forensic data sources, and response techniques. As we move forward, metrics will be our compass, guiding us toward improvement, collaboration, and unwavering dedication to a secure industrial landscape.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the prevailing trends and predictions in OT cybersecurity, as envisioned by Alangh Infosec's expert in the field.