Operational Technology Cyber security deals with Operational Technology (OT) that entwines software and hardware for a change through the direct monitoring and/or control of physical devices, processes, and events in the enterprise.
The Technology has been prevalent in Industrial Control Systems (ICS) for example SCADA systems.
Operation Technology comes in handy in regulating power stations and public transportation. The need for operational technology cybersecurity grows rapidly when Operational Technology progresses and merges with the networked tech.
For decades, industrial systems remain dependent upon proprietary protocols and software. They were carefully looked after by humans with no contact beyond it whatsoever.
IT-OT Merger and Operational Technology Cybersecurity
For this very reason, they continued being inaccessible for hackers as there was no networked interface to breach into. The only way of taking over these systems was to get physical access to a terminal which was risky as well as not worth it.
IT and OT had negligible relations then, in contrast to contemporary times.
The advent of the Internet has nearly every industrial system hop onto the online to deliver big data and intelligent analytics. Not only that but reinventing itself with far-reaching capacities and efficiencies through technological assimilation. It only adds to the indispensability of Operational Technology Cybersecurity.
The liberalisation of industrial systems with seamless connectivity has posed grave concerns of security to itself. A breach in the industrial network has the potential to devastate communities and economies.
Why Operational Technology Cyber security?
Sensitive data in the hands of third parties can endanger the lives of people. For this very reason, industrial systems owners are having a run for Operational Technology Cybersecurity.
Well, good news for all. It’s feasible to secure industrial networks without bringing down operations by employing solutions that supply absolute visibility of the network control traffic while strengthening it further with apt security policies.
You can set an effective Operational Technology Cybersecurity strategy in motion that will guard your sensitive data, people, and profit while ensuring impregnable security.
On top of that, industrial environments have a comparatively lower volume of traffic than IT environments. A substantial portion of the traffic flows between certain endpoints. Hence, can be baseline and inventoried with remarkable ease in comparison to an IT network.
Deployment of monitoring and analysis tools can help with identification and protection against unauthorized alterations that could foretell an attack in motion or preparation.