The State of Cyber Security in 2023: OT Networks and Systems

André Sollner and Bob Hampe

Operational Technology (OT) systems—hardware, software and firmware systems that control elements of the physical environment, like industrial processes, or direct changes in operations by controlling devices or events—are increasingly vulnerable to attack based on a number of security challenges. Complexity, age, convergence, lack of visibility and human error all contribute to difficulty in effectively managing and securing OT systems. 

We’ll explore each of these in detail as well as threat vectors and steps organizations can take to secure their OT networks. 

OT Vulnerability: An Overview 

OT systems contain a unique, complex mix of software and hardware, which makes effective management and security extremely difficult. They are vulnerable both virtually and physically, and since they can control massive industrial processes, these vulnerabilities can result in major disruptions. 

Another complicating factor is the age of OT systems. Many of these systems are built on legacy hardware and software that may not have been designed with security in mind, or they were built before our current age of extremely sophisticated cyberattacks. When organizations seek to upgrade these legacy systems, they often have difficulty doing so—and downtime or software updates can leave these systems extremely vulnerable to cyberattacks. 

While convergence has made management of complex systems slightly simpler, the convergence of information technology (IT) and OT systems significantly increases the attack surface for potential cyber threats. Attackers can use IT vulnerabilities to gain access to OT systems, which can have serious consequences for industrial processes and critical infrastructure.

Ease of management aside, these OT systems often lack the ability to detect potential security threats or provide visibility into their operations. This lack of visibility can make it difficult to identify and respond to cyberattacks.

Human error, such as the failure to follow security policies or the use of weak passwords, can also be a significant challenge for OT security. This is particularly true in industrial environments where employees may not have extensive cybersecurity training. We’ll explore human error more deeply as a threat vector later in the blog. 

Finally, nation-state attackers are a growing threat to OT systems, particularly in critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, transportation and water. These attacks are often highly sophisticated and can cause significant damage to industrial processes and national security.

Threat Vectors Affecting OT Networks and Systems

Complex hacks and attacks by nefarious entities may spring to mind when considering the greatest threat vectors affecting OT networks and systems. However, the greatest threats are typically not malicious in nature—and are instead the result of simple, but consequential, human error. 

Misconfigurations in OT devices and systems can create security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers. For example, misconfigured firewalls can allow unauthorized access to critical systems, while misconfigured access controls can allow unauthorized users to gain access to sensitive data.

Awareness is another issue. Employees and contractors in OT environments may have limited security training and awareness, making them more susceptible to social engineering attacks such as phishing. Attackers can use phishing emails to deliver malware or steal credentials, which can be used to gain access to the OT network.

Processes and protocols are only good to the extent that employees and contractors follow them. Individuals may make unapproved changes to OT systems or devices, such as installing unauthorized software or connecting unauthorized devices to the network. These changes can create security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers.

While remembering dozens of passwords seems like a pain, the truth is that weak passwords or passwords that are reused across multiple accounts can be easily guessed or cracked by attackers, providing them with access to critical systems and data. 

Malware is another significant threat vector affecting OT systems. In OT environments, a malware or ransomware attack can have severe consequences, as it can disrupt critical processes, cause production downtime and lead to significant financial losses. Additionally, many OT systems have limited backup and recovery capabilities, making it difficult to restore operations quickly in the event of an attack. 

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks pose another significant threat vector. To mitigate DDoS threats in OT environments, organizations should consider implementing the following measures:

• Regularly update and patch all OT devices and systems to ensure they are protected against known vulnerabilities.
• Enact network segmentation to limit the impact of an attack and prevent lateral movement.
• Monitor network traffic for signs of an DDoS attack and use automated tools to detect and respond to threats.
• Implement access controls and multifactor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to critical systems.
• Implement redundancy and failover mechanisms to ensure that critical processes can continue even in the event of an attack.

Finally, cloud components are a substantial threat vector affecting OT systems. Data leakage, misconfiguration, denial of service (DoS), supply chain attacks, and lack of visibility all contribute to OT system vulnerabilities. 

Data leakage poses a serious threat. Cloud components may store or process sensitive data, such as production data, process control data and configuration information. If this data is not adequately protected, it can be accessed or exfiltrated by unauthorized individuals, leading to data leakage.

Misconfiguration, arising from human error, lack of expertise or inadequate security controls, is a common security risk for cloud components in OT environments. Misconfiguration can lead to unauthorized access, data leakage and other security incidents.

Cloud components in OT environments can be targeted by DoS attacks, in which an attacker floods the cloud component with traffic to overwhelm its resources. DoS attacks can cause downtime, disrupt operations and lead to financial losses.

It’s extremely common for cloud components in OT environments to rely on third-party vendors or supply chains for their operation. Supply chain attacks can occur when a malicious actor compromises a third-party vendor or supply chain partner and then uses their access to infiltrate the cloud component.

Finally, cloud components can be difficult to monitor and manage, especially in large OT environments. A lack of visibility can lead to security blind spots, making it difficult to detect and respond to security incidents.

Best Plan of Action to Safeguard Your OT System

With these vulnerabilities in mind, it’s essential to have a deep understanding of your OT system—especially its vulnerabilities—to help safeguard it against attack. To that end, we recommend partnering with a cybersecurity organization that can conduct penetration tests and other diagnostics to determine where your system’s security issues are. 

If you are concerned about human error as a potential vector, many organizations exist that can help standardize protocols and promote adherence to them. Training and awareness can go a long way in reducing risk. 

Finally, we recommend establishing a protocol for detection of cybersecurity issues—whether your OT system itself is equipped to detect issues or you engage with a separate service to monitor for and alert you to potential security breaches in your OT system. 

Have more questions? As always, please feel free to contact us.