What is Operational Technology?

Operational Technology (OT) refers to the hardware and software systems that monitor and control physical devices, processes, and events within an organization. Unlike Information Technology (IT), which deals with data and business systems, OT focuses on the functionality and safety of physical processes such as manufacturing, energy distribution, transportation, and facility operations. OT systems are critical in industries like manufacturing, oil and gas, utilities, and healthcare, where they ensure that industrial processes operate efficiently and safely.

Operational Technology in Cybersecurity

As industries digitize and integrate traditional OT systems with IT networks, the security of operational technology has become a top priority. OT systems, historically isolated from external networks, are increasingly interconnected through Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices, cloud services, and smart technologies. This convergence exposes OT to cyber threats such as ransomware, malware, and nation-state attacks. 

OT cybersecurity aims to safeguard these systems by implementing strategies like network segmentation, regular vulnerability assessments, and real-time monitoring to protect critical infrastructure from disruption or compromise.

What are Operational Technology Devices?

Operational technology devices are specialized tools designed to interact with and control physical processes. Examples of these devices include:

• Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs): Used in industrial automation to control machinery and processes.
• Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Systems: Centralized systems that monitor and control large-scale industrial operations, such as power grids or water treatment plants.
• Distributed Control Systems (DCS): Common in manufacturing and processing industries for real-time process control.
• Robots and Actuators: Automated tools and mechanisms used in manufacturing and assembly lines.
• Sensors and Smart Devices: Deployed to collect data and monitor physical conditions such as temperature, pressure, or flow rates.

Operational Technology Examples by Industry

Operational technology systems are found in various industries and applications, including:

• Manufacturing: Assembly lines, CNC machines, and robotic welders
• Energy & Utilities: Power generation turbines, electric grid monitoring systems, and water treatment facilities
• Transportation: Rail signaling systems, airport baggage handling systems, and traffic light controls
• Healthcare: MRI machines, patient monitoring systems, and laboratory equipment
• Building Management: HVAC systems, elevator controls, and security systems like surveillance cameras and access control

Operational Technology vs. Information Technology

What exactly is the difference between operational technology and information technology? While OT and IT share similarities in their reliance on digital systems, their purposes and priorities differ significantly:

• Purpose: OT focuses on controlling and ensuring the safety and reliability of physical processes, while IT manages data and supports business operations.
• Environment: OT operates in industrial settings, often dealing with real-time processes that require high availability and low latency. IT is more commonly found in office environments, prioritizing data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
• Lifecycle: OT systems typically have a longer lifecycle (10–20 years or more) compared to IT systems, which may be upgraded every few years.
• Security Priorities: In OT, availability and safety are paramount, as downtime or malfunction can lead to physical harm, environmental damage, or financial loss. In IT, the primary focus is often on data confidentiality and integrity.

The Importance of Operational Technology Security

Operational technology security is essential for protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring the continuity of industrial processes. A successful attack on OT systems can result in significant consequences, including production downtime, equipment damage, and safety hazards. For example, a cyberattack targeting a power grid could disrupt electricity supply to millions of people, while a breach in a water treatment facility could contaminate drinking water.

To enhance OT security, organizations should adopt a defense-in-depth approach, including:

• Network Segmentation: Isolating OT networks from IT and external networks to limit the attack surface.
• Patch Management: Regularly updating OT devices and systems to address known vulnerabilities.
• Real-Time Monitoring: Using intrusion detection systems (IDS) and continuous monitoring to detect anomalies and potential threats.
• Incident Response Plans: Developing and testing plans tailored to OT environments to ensure quick recovery in case of a cyber incident.

Operational technology plays a vital role in enabling the functionality and safety of critical processes across industries. As OT systems become more connected and integrated with IT, the importance of robust OT cybersecurity cannot be overstated. By understanding the unique challenges and characteristics of OT, organizations can better protect their infrastructure, minimize risks, and maintain operational resilience in an evolving threat landscape.

Protecting the Attack Surface with Bitsight

By regularly rating critical infrastructure cybersecurity, governments and businesses can:

Continuously monitor critical infrastructure cybersecurity

Bitsight delivers actionable and continuous insight into cyber risks threatening a nation. Rather than relying on subjective, outdated datasets, governments leverage Bitsight to continuously and automatically measure, monitor, and learn more about specific cybersecurity risks. Bitsight reveals the prevalence of risks and vulnerabilities within the country, and the specific risks facing critical organizations. Bitsight ratings also issue alerts when the security posture of agencies or nations change or deviate from established risk thresholds.

Inform decision-making with forensic data

Bitsight Sovereign Security Ratings reveal data-driven risk insights so stakeholders make better decisions to improve security postures and address risk. Forensic details and infection data help cybersecurity teams facilitate remediation. Government stakeholders review cybersecurity trends within their nation, execute searches on a country-wide level, and put plans in place to reduce risk and prevent cybercrime.

Benchmark national security performance

Bitsight’s unique data and insights enable governments to understand their country’s national cybersecurity performance. With Bitsight for Critical National Infrastructure, governments can benchmark their own security performance against counterparts to understand how key industries perform when compared to other nations. With these insights, governments identify security shortcomings, set realistic targets, create security plans, and reduce cyber risk.

What are Access Controls?

Access controls are the mechanisms, policies, and procedures that regulate who or what can access specific systems, data, or physical spaces. They are a foundational element of cybersecurity and physical security. The purpose of access controls is to ensure that only authorized individuals or entities can access sensitive assets, mitigating risks of unauthorized access, data breaches, and theft.

Physical vs. Logical Access Controls

Access controls are broadly categorized into two types: physical and logical. Physical access controls manage entry to tangible spaces, such as offices, data centers, or server rooms. Examples include locks, security guards, key cards, and biometric scanners. Logical access controls, on the other hand, govern access to digital systems and resources, such as networks, applications, databases, or files. These controls include passwords, multi-factor authentication (MFA), role-based permissions, and firewalls. While they serve different purposes, physical and logical access controls often complement one another in a comprehensive security strategy.

Basic Elements of Physical Access Control

Physical access control systems rely on four key elements to function effectively:

1. Authorization: Determining who is allowed access to specific areas.
2. Authentication: Verifying the identity of the individual or entity requesting access, often through credentials like ID cards or biometric scans.
3. Access: Granting or denying entry based on authorization and authentication results.
4. Audit: Recording access events to ensure accountability and enable investigation of security incidents.

These physical access control pillars are specific to physical security systems and deal with how access is granted or restricted in a tangible space. They include authorization, authentication, access, and audit—a sequence that describes the process and operational components of managing entry to physical locations.

Network Access Controls & Access Control Systems

Network access controls (NAC) are a subset of logical access controls specifically designed to manage who can connect to an organization's network. NAC systems assess devices attempting to connect, ensuring they meet security policies (e.g., up-to-date antivirus software) before granting access.

Access control systems, whether physical or logical, are integral to modern security frameworks. They serve as gatekeepers, ensuring the right people access the right resources at the right time. By leveraging various access control models and principles, organizations can tailor their systems to meet both operational and security needs.

3 Principles of Access Control

The effectiveness of any access control system relies on three core principles:

1. Identification: Establishing who is requesting access, typically through a username, ID card, or biometrics.
2. Authentication: Confirming the identity of the requester using something they know (password), have (security token), or are (fingerprint).
3. Authorization: Allowing or restricting access based on predefined permissions and policies.

The principles above are broader concepts that apply to both physical and logical access controls. They focus on ensuring access is only granted to verified and permitted users.

Types of Access Control Models

Organizations implement different access control models based on their security needs:

1. Discretionary Access Control (DAC): The data owner determines who can access specific resources. While flexible, it can be less secure as permissions may be inconsistently assigned.

2. Mandatory Access Control (MAC): Access is regulated by a central authority based on predefined policies, often using classifications (e.g., "Top Secret"). It is more rigid and commonly used in government or military settings.

3. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Permissions are assigned based on roles within an organization. For example, a system administrator may have broader access than a standard user.

4. Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): Access is granted based on a combination of attributes, such as user identity, location, device, or time of access.

Why is Access Control Important?

Access control is critical for protecting an organization's assets, whether physical or digital. By restricting access to sensitive areas and information, it mitigates insider threats, reduces the likelihood of cyberattacks, and ensures compliance with industry regulations. In an era where data breaches can result in severe financial and reputational damage, robust access controls are non-negotiable.

Benefits of Access Control Systems

Effective access control systems provide numerous benefits, including:

• Enhanced Security: By restricting access to authorized individuals, organizations reduce the risk of data breaches and unauthorized activities.
• Compliance: Many industries have regulations that mandate robust access controls, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.
• Operational Efficiency: Automated access control systems streamline operations by reducing the need for manual intervention.
• Auditability: Comprehensive logs facilitate monitoring, compliance audits, and forensic investigations.

Protect Your Attack Surface with Bitsight

An industry-leading solution

Bitsight is the world’s leading provider of cyber risk intelligence, transforming how security leaders manage and mitigate risk. Leveraging the most comprehensive external data and analytics, Bitsight empowers organizations to make confident, data-backed decisions and equips security and compliance teams from over 3,300 organizations across 70+ countries with the tools to proactively detect exposures and take immediate action to protect their enterprises and supply chains. Bitsight customers include 38% of Fortune 500 companies, 4 of the top 5 investment banks, and 180+ government agencies and quasi-governmental authorities, including U.S. and global financial regulators.

Extensive visibility

Bitsight operates one of the largest risk datasets in the world. Leveraging over 10 years of experience collecting, attributing, and assessing risk across millions of entities, we combine the power of AI with the curation of technical researchers to unlock an unparalleled view of your organization. Bitsight offers more complete visibility into important risk areas such as botnets, mobile apps, IoT systems, and more. Our cyber data collection and scanning capabilities include:

• 40 million+ monitored entities
• 540 billion+ cyber events in our data lake
• 4 billion+ routable IP addresses 
• 500 million+ domains monitored
• 400 billion+ events ingested daily
• 12+ months of historical data

Superior analytics

Bitsight offers a full analytics suite that addresses the challenges of peer comparison, digital risk exposure, and future performance.

Ratings validation

Bitsight is the only rating solution with third-party validation of correlation to breach from AIR Worldwide and IHS Markit.

Quantifiable outcomes

Bitsight drives proven ROI with significant operational efficiency and risk reduction outcomes.

Prioritization of risk vectors

Bitsight incorporates the criticality of risk vectors in to calculation of Security Ratings, highlighting risk in a more diversified way to ensure the most critical assets and vulnerabilities are ranked higher. 

What are Industrial Control Systems?

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are integrated hardware and software configurations used to control and automate industrial processes. ICSs are prevalent across a range of industries, including manufacturing, energy, utilities, and critical infrastructure sectors. These systems allow for the remote monitoring and control of physical devices, machinery, and processes, often orchestrating operations that require precise timing and coordination. The term ICS encompasses a variety of systems that differ in scale, complexity, and function, but ultimately these systems are all designed to manage industrial environments in a way that promotes efficiency and safety.

ICS Security

ICS Security refers specifically to the practices, tools, and processes used to protect Industrial Control Systems from cyber threats. It focuses on safeguarding the physical components, ensuring the safety and continuity of industrial operations, and maintaining the integrity of the control systems. ICS security is particularly important because these systems often control critical infrastructure. Ensuring the security of ICS involves protecting against threats that could lead to operational disruptions, physical harm, or significant economic and environmental impacts. ICS security is a specialized area that requires knowledge of both traditional IT security concepts and the unique operational requirements of industrial systems.

ICS & Cybersecurity

ICS in Cybersecurity is a broader theme that includes integrating ICS into an organization's overall cybersecurity posture. It encompasses both the specific security practices of ICS environments as well as their alignment with broader IT security measures. Given the critical role that ICSs play in national infrastructure and industrial operations, securing them is paramount. Historically, ICS environments were isolated, often referred to as "air-gapped," meaning they were separated from external networks and therefore considered safe from cyber threats. However, with the advent of digital transformation and increased connectivity, these systems have become more susceptible to cyberattacks. Cybersecurity for ICS is critical because an attack on these systems can lead to significant disruptions, physical damage, safety hazards, or even environmental harm.

Common Types of ICS

There are different types of ICS that include a variety of control and automation systems used for different purposes - each type serving specific functions in industrial processes. The three most common types are:

1. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)

SCADA systems are used to monitor and control infrastructure over large geographic areas, such as power grids, pipelines, and water treatment facilities. They provide operators with a comprehensive view of system status through centralized control rooms, collecting data in real-time from sensors and other devices spread across remote locations.

ICS vs. SCADA

SCADA is often treated synonymously with ICS, however, it is actually a subset of ICS. While ICS represents the overarching category for systems that control industrial processes, SCADA specifically refers to systems used for monitoring and controlling remote equipment, particularly across large geographic expanses. SCADA typically interacts with other types of ICS, like PLCs, to gather data and initiate control commands.

2. Distributed Control Systems (DCS)

A DCS is employed primarily in industrial plants and factories to control processes that are more localized, such as chemical processing or oil refining. Unlike SCADA, which is geographically distributed, a DCS controls operations within a limited area using local controllers connected to a central control system.

3. Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)

PLCs are essential components in ICS environments. They are rugged industrial computers specifically designed to execute control processes, often in real-time. They are typically used for smaller, localized tasks like motor control, assembly lines, or simple machinery operations.

Classification of Industrial Controllers

Classification of Industrial Controllers is based on their function, scale, and deployment environment. Controllers like PLCs are classified as field devices designed to operate close to machinery, while systems like DCS and SCADA act at supervisory or distributed levels. In terms of control hierarchy, field devices collect data and manage individual components, while centralized control systems analyze the data to optimize the entire operation.

Who is Concerned with ICS Security?

In the cybersecurity industry, the topic of ICS security touches many roles across the spectrum. Operational Technology (OT) Security Analysts, Industrial Control System Engineers, Cybersecurity Architects, and Risk Management Leaders are among those tasked with ICS security and protection:

• OT Security Analysts are focused on monitoring ICS networks for unusual activity, ensuring that the systems remain free from malicious threats. They must have a deep understanding of the industrial processes they are protecting, along with the specific threats that target these environments.

• ICS Engineers are often responsible for the implementation and maintenance of these systems. They need to understand the cybersecurity implications of connecting ICS components to broader IT networks, as well as how to secure legacy devices that may not have been designed with security in mind.

• Cybersecurity Architects are tasked with designing secure network architectures that include ICS components. They must be familiar with best practices for network segmentation and the unique requirements of ICS environments, balancing security with operational efficiency.

• Risk Management Leaders focus on the potential impact of ICS breaches. They need to understand the risks posed by different types of attacks on ICS environments, including potential operational disruptions and broader implications for critical infrastructure. These professionals are also key in developing strategies that prioritize the mitigation of risks specific to ICS.

A key point for all cybersecurity professionals working with ICS is that traditional IT security practices cannot simply be applied directly to ICS environments. ICS systems often have unique requirements regarding uptime, equipment compatibility, and operational safety, which means that cybersecurity measures must be adapted to fit the industrial context.

Importance of Industrial Control Systems

The importance of Industrial Control Systems cannot be overstated, especially when it comes to critical infrastructure and essential services that societies rely on daily. The convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) within ICS environments has brought new efficiencies but also introduced unique cybersecurity challenges. Ensuring the reliability, integrity, and availability of ICSs is crucial, as disruptions in these systems can have significant consequences, ranging from operational downtime to broader impacts on national security.

Challenges in Protecting ICS from Cyber Threats

The protection of ICS against exposures involves unique challenges compared to traditional IT systems. ICS environments often consist of legacy equipment that lacks built-in security controls, and downtime for patching and maintenance can be costly. Consequently, cybersecurity measures for ICS must balance rigorous protection with the need to maintain the operational continuity of essential industrial processes. Techniques like network segmentation, robust access controls, anomaly detection, and specialized incident response protocols are commonly employed to safeguard these systems from attacks.

Protect Industrial Control Systems with Security Ratings

By regularly rating critical infrastructure cybersecurity, governments and businesses can:

Continuously monitor critical infrastructure cybersecurity

Bitsight delivers actionable and continuous insight into cyber risks threatening a nation. Rather than relying on subjective, outdated datasets, governments leverage Bitsight to continuously and automatically measure, monitor, and learn more about specific cybersecurity risks. Bitsight reveals the prevalence of risks and vulnerabilities within the country, and the specific risks facing critical organizations. Bitsight ratings also issue alerts when the security posture of agencies or nations change or deviate from established risk thresholds.

Inform decision-making with forensic data

Bitsight Sovereign Security Ratings reveal data-driven risk insights so stakeholders make better decisions to improve security postures and address risk. Forensic details and infection data help cybersecurity teams facilitate remediation. Government stakeholders review cybersecurity trends within their nation, execute searches on a country-wide level, and put plans in place to reduce risk and prevent cybercrime.

Benchmark national security performance

Bitsight’s unique data and insights enable governments to understand their country’s national cybersecurity performance. With Bitsight for Critical National Infrastructure, governments can benchmark their own security performance against counterparts to understand how key industries perform when compared to other nations. With these insights, governments identify security shortcomings, set realistic targets, create security plans, and reduce cyber risk.

We're also prioritizing ICS security in our day-to-day business operations here at Bitsight, including through our research, our partnership with Schneider Electric, and the ICS lab we’ve built.

What is the CIA Triad?

The CIA Triad is a foundational model in information security that represents three core principles:

1. Confidentiality: Protecting data from unauthorized access. An example of protecting confidentiality would be the act of preventing passwords from being stolen or the theft of an employee’s computer. 

2. Integrity: Ensuring data remains accurate and trustworthy. Essentially, this means that data cannot and should not be modified by any unauthorized persons. 

3. Availability: Ensuring data and systems are accessible to authorized users when needed.

These three elements form the basis of effective information security, ensuring that data is protected from unauthorized access, remains accurate and trustworthy, and is accessible when needed by authorized users. The CIA Triad serves as a guiding framework for security policies, risk assessments, and the development of security strategies.

CIA in cybersecurity can be summarized as a model used to establish the fundamental goals of any information security program. Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability work together to provide a comprehensive approach to data protection and cyber risk management. By balancing these three aspects, organizations can create a more secure environment for their sensitive data and systems.

What is Confidentiality in Cybersecurity?

Confidentiality refers to the practice of safeguarding information to prevent unauthorized access. In cybersecurity, confidentiality ensures that sensitive data, such as personal or financial information, is only accessible to those who are explicitly permitted to see it. Common methods to maintain confidentiality include:

• Encryption: Encoding data to prevent unauthorized access.
• Access controls: Defining who can access information.
• Multi-factor authentication: Requiring multiple verification steps for access.

Essentially, confidentiality is about keeping secrets safe from prying eyes.

What is Integrity in Cybersecurity?

Integrity in cybersecurity ensures that data is accurate and has not been altered in an unauthorized manner. This principle is crucial because compromised data can lead to incorrect decisions, financial losses, or operational disruptions. Measures used to ensure data integrity include:

• Hashing: Creating a unique identifier for data to detect changes.
• Digital signatures: Verifying the source and integrity of data.
• Checksums: Verifying data accuracy through calculated values.

These measures help organizations trust the information they rely on.

What is Availability in Cybersecurity?

Availability is the third key element of the CIA Triad, focusing on ensuring that systems, networks, and data are accessible to authorized users when needed. Downtime due to cyberattacks, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), or other technical issues can prevent legitimate users from accessing crucial information. Methods used to ensure high availability include:

• Redundancy: Adding backup systems to avoid single points of failure.
• Backups: Regularly saving data to prevent data loss.
• Disaster recovery plans: Preparing for rapid recovery after disruptions.

These methods help minimize disruptions and maintain continuous access.

Examples of CIA Triad Attacks

Understanding real-world examples of attacks on each aspect of the CIA Triad helps illustrate the importance of these principles:

• Confidentiality Attack: A common example is a data breach, where attackers gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. For instance, phishing attacks that trick employees into revealing login credentials can lead to compromised data confidentiality. Another example is man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, where attackers intercept communication to access confidential information.

• Integrity Attack: Attacks on data integrity often involve unauthorized changes to data. A notable example is the tampering of financial records or website defacement, where attackers modify content to spread misinformation. Ransomware attacks can also compromise integrity by encrypting files and altering their state, rendering the data unusable until a ransom is paid. A breach of integrity would also include something like the implementation of malware hidden in another program. See Solarwinds as an example of a breach of integrity.

• Availability Attack: Availability attacks are designed to disrupt access to systems or data. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are a classic example, where attackers flood a server with traffic to make it unavailable to legitimate users. Another example is a ransomware attack, which not only affects data integrity but also disrupts availability by locking users out of their own systems. If there is an attack that brings down your network, whether temporary or locked out, then that is a failure of availability. See the Colonial Pipeline attack as a good example.

These examples demonstrate how attackers can target different aspects of the CIA Triad, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security measures that address confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

What is Missing from the CIA Triad?

The CIA Triad is not without its limitations. While it provides a solid foundation, it does not encompass all aspects of modern cybersecurity needs. For instance, the Triad lacks explicit considerations for authenticity, accountability, and non-repudiation, which are becoming increasingly important as cyber threats evolve. The growing complexity of today's digital landscape has led some professionals to consider alternatives or extensions to the CIA Triad, such as the addition of other concepts like Privacy, Safety, and Resilience to address emerging challenges.

Modern cybersecurity often requires a focus on aspects such as usability and resilience, ensuring that security measures do not overly hinder the user experience or fail under sophisticated attack scenarios. Additionally, compliance with regulatory standards and ensuring user trust are critical considerations that are not explicitly addressed by the CIA Triad but are vital in today’s security strategies.

These considerations are critical but are not explicitly addressed by the CIA Triad. Incorporating these aspects helps organizations adapt to today’s security strategies.

The Importance of Security Performance Management

While the CIA Triad remains an essential framework for understanding and implementing security controls, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution to information risk management. As threats and technologies continue to evolve, security models must adapt by incorporating additional elements that reflect the current landscape's complexities. By understanding both the strengths and the limitations of the CIA Triad, cybersecurity professionals can better develop comprehensive strategies to protect their organizations and data assets.

Information security risk management is a comprehensive effort to protect information assets by identifying, evaluating, and mitigating risks. It requires collaboration across the organization and strong leadership to establish effective policies and controls. The consequences of inadequate information risk management — financial, legal, or reputational harm — can be severe. 

For infosec managers following the CIA Triad concepts, comprehensive insights provided by tools like Bitsight make it possible to automatically measure and monitor enterprise-wide and third-party security performance effectively. With Bitsight for Security Performance Management, organizations can:

• Gain visibility into cyber risk across all digital assets on premises, in the cloud, in remote/home offices, and across geographies and subsidiaries.
• Identify gaps in information security controls and cybersecurity programs.
• Prioritize remediation efforts and security initiatives based on cybersecurity and cloud security metrics that highlight levels of risk, instead of trying to tackle every little risk at once.
• Quantify the effectiveness and impact of investments in security programs to help company decision makers make meaningful, quick decisions.
• Make informed choices surrounding the effectiveness of security controls, tools, technologies, and people.