A friend of mine recently experienced a frightening incident that highlights the importance of cybersecurity in today's increasingly interconnected world. As her wife drove her car into the garage, she lost control of the electric car, which continued to drive forward even though she kept pressing the brake. The car crashed into a home, causing extensive damage to both the car and the building. Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident, but it served as a stark reminder of the potential dangers that our interconnected world can pose. .
A vast network of intelligent control systems is all around us, from the utilities we use every day, such as electricity and water, to the devices we rely on to communicate, and even the vehicles we drive. These systems are part of an interconnected world and, if in the wrong hands, can wreak havoc on our lives. Therefore, ensuring protection of critical operational infrastructure has become a top priority for both information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) security teams.
The challenge lies in the complexity
OT environments are complex systems that include a variety of interconnected industrial control systems (ICS), many of which are legacy systems. These systems are often integrated with IT networks, resulting in a large number of complex vulnerabilities that can be exploited. With cybersecurity tools, analytics, and automation technologies advancing rapidly, it is easy to assume that the security solutions currently used in enterprise environments are sufficient to protect these OT environments. However, this is a misunderstanding. In reality, these OT environments present unique challenges that traditional IT security solutions cannot effectively address, requiring the development of specialized security measures tailored to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of the OT environment.
Malicious attackers who are aware of this vulnerability are exploiting this complexity to compromise and take control of industrial control systems for illicit purposes. In 2023, ransomware attacks increased by 50%.
Partnering to address OT cybersecurity challenges
Based on this understanding, we decided to form a technology partnership with Dragos, a recognized leader in ICS/OT asset and threat intelligence. The consolidation of his OT environment by integrating modern IT systems with older legacy ICS has led to the emergence of a new class of complex vulnerabilities that span both IT and OT domains.
In this increasingly interconnected landscape, it has become clear that IT and OT cybersecurity teams can no longer operate in isolation. A holistic approach that provides a comprehensive view of the IT/OT picture is now a necessity, not an option. This integrated approach must include sharing past knowledge across domains. This is important for understanding the evolution of threats and designing effective countermeasures.
Additionally, collecting and correlating native indicators of compromise (IOCs) at machine speed has become essential. Rapid collection and correlation of IOCs is a critical part of early threat detection and rapid response. This is also essential to enable real-time awareness of ongoing threats. This often involves subtle, ongoing activity that may go unnoticed. By identifying these threats in real time, organizations can respond more quickly and effectively, reducing potential damage and disruption.
New solutions for IT and OT cybersecurity professionals
Our partnership with Dragos addresses these critical challenges between modern IT and ICS/OT environments. By leveraging Turbine Canvas, OT professionals can easily and quickly build their own low-code custom playbooks. Additionally, custom playbooks can be directly integrated with Dragos visibility and intelligence information, expanding your team's knowledge and improving the effectiveness of your cybersecurity workflows. This saves time and resources while providing organizational knowledge from both the IT and his OT environments. This joint solution reduces analyst workload and improves the effectiveness of OT cybersecurity programs. Learn more about how Swimlane and Dragos work together to protect your critical infrastructure.
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