In an era where the digital landscape evolves at breakneck speed, the quest for security has taken center stage.
As cyber attacks increase both in number and complexity—and with manufacturing has recently come into the crosshairs of organized cybercriminals—the vital role of operational technology (OT) security cannot be emphasized enough.
“Ransomware continues to get more targeted, not just these blanketed attacks that we saw 10 or 20 years ago,” Fortinet Global VP Threat Intelligence Derek Manky said during the cybersecurity firm’s APAC Operational Technology Security Summit 2024. “Now we’ve been seeing custom payloads being created and Wiper technology that’s been created specific for operational technology and industrial control.”
Over 80% of manufacturers experienced at least one data breach in the past year, with 15% experiencing six or more, according to Fortinet. 78% of manufacturers, moreover, now rank cybersecurity as a top-five business risk, compared to 70% in 2020.
Aside from ransomware, the most common security incidents reported by manufacturers are malware, spyware, and phishing attacks, a fraudulent activity whereby hackers send suspicious links to unsuspecting individuals via mobile messages and emails. The links lead to fake websites that trick users into providing personal information like bank account details.
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The present sophisticated threat landscape continues to grow with rapid digitalization. As such, Fortinet noted that companies see the need to have quicker threat detection and response to digital attacks.
With this, an “operations-first” security approach can be used to protect companies against intentional targeted attacks.
“We need to understand what kind of environment we have—what systems we utilize, how our adversaries are operating, and how our adversaries are essentially utilizing these systems to attack,” certified SANS instructor Jason Dely said. “And from there, we’ll look at similar systems and at other critical infrastructure sectors that are outside of ours so we can think on how we can improve our infrastructure in support of our recovery.”
Indeed, protecting endpoints, implementing effective security controls, and mitigating threats are some of the steps manufacturers can take to achieve OT cyber resilience.
Moving forward
A sole leader in IT/OT security platforms navigator, Fortinet supports organizations looking to improve their processes and advance cyber security skills by providing services such as incident readiness assessments and tabletop exercises, and ransomware readiness assessments.
The company remains committed to leading the way in OT security innovation as the convergence of IT and OT continues to accelerate. Fortinet’s integrated approach to security, powered by real-time OT threat intelligence, enables customers to establish a zero-trust model and securely facilitate IT/OT convergence.
With the continued evolution of OT security solutions, it aims to stay ahead of threats and ensure the safety of critical infrastructure in the face of ever-changing cybersecurity challenges. ###