Operational Tech Now a Prime Target for Cyberattacks

The growing reliance on technology and digital systems in operational technology (OT) has made it a prime target for cyber attackers. The use of internet-connected devices, sensors, and automation has made it easier for cybercriminals to penetrate these systems and cause damage, including the theft of intellectual property, financial losses, and damage to physical infrastructure.
The manufacturing sector, which is a critical component of the global economy, is particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks. The sector is rapidly evolving, with the use of advanced technologies, such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT), becoming increasingly common. As a result, it is becoming a target of choice for cybercriminals who seek to disrupt production, steal valuable information, or cause physical damage.
OT systems are critical to the smooth functioning of essential services, such as power grids, water treatment plants, transportation networks, and other critical infrastructure. A successful cyberattack on these systems could cause significant disruption, affecting public safety and causing economic damage. Therefore, it is essential for organizations to take proactive steps to secure their OT systems, including conducting regular security assessments, implementing robust access controls, and deploying advanced threat detection and response capabilities.
In conclusion, the increasing threat of cyberattacks against OT systems is a significant concern for organizations and governments worldwide. With the continued growth of interconnected systems, it is more critical than ever to ensure that these systems are adequately secured to prevent potential cyber threats from becoming reality. Customers must embrace new solutions and a new way of thinking. 
According to the IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index for 2022, there has been an unprecedented 2,000% year-over-year increase in targeted attacks on OT environments, such as critical infrastructure manufacturing. Attackers are taking advantage of the larger attack surface of these systems and, unfortunately, are having little trouble penetrating them. Typical attacks include brute force password attacks against hardware and software, legacy OT attacks, as well as targeted attacks against known vulnerabilities in legacy equipment.
Despite the staggering growth in cyberattacks, this should come as no surprise, as cyberattacks are on the rise. Juniper Research predicts that there will be 83 billion connected IoT devices worldwide by 2024, with 70% of them being in the industrial sector.
OT refers to the hardware and software used to monitor and control physical devices, processes, and infrastructure in industries such as manufacturing, energy, and transportation. As OT systems become increasingly connected to IT (Information Technology) systems, the security risks associated with them also increase. Cyberattacks targeting OT systems can cause significant damage to critical infrastructure and disrupt essential services.
One of the main challenges in securing OT is the large number of connected devices in use by various manufacturers. Many of these devices are built with enough processing power and bandwidth to create vulnerabilities, but not enough headroom to support firmware or software updates. This makes it difficult to support and protect OT assets against attacks.
Another challenge is the need to maintain and manage dispersed and heterogeneous infrastructures and supply chains, which is further complicated by the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. This demands accurate real-time inventory management of OT/IoT devices and systems, as well as support for troubleshooting and version updates.
To develop a basic cybersecurity strategy for OT and IT systems, manufacturers must be able to monitor their network in real time and understand the behavior of devices and who or what is transmitting on the network. The ability to identify abnormal activity almost in real time is key to preventing operational disruptions, whether due to maintenance issues or cyberattacks.
Cyber 2.0 can map all network traffic for OT and IT systems and block attacks in real time. Another challenge is the lack of basic information on threat intelligence, which can make it difficult to anticipate and defend against attacks. Cybersecurity companies must continue to develop and improve their threat intelligence capabilities to stay ahead of emerging threats and protect OT systems.
Legacy Challenges
Legacy OT systems are saddled with a long list of cybersecurity concerns, including:
Equipment with life cycles of decades, when the manufacturers declared the end of life for the EOL product
Inability to repair systems due to stability concerns and damage to the production system. There is also a lack of basic cybersecurity features, such as user authentication or encryption.
Historically, OT security professionals could at least credibly claim that such systems were "off the internet" to ensure isolation from the rest of the world. However, complete isolation, if it ever existed, has become impossible today. No manufacturing organization can adopt an Industry 4.0 strategy without addressing the serious cybersecurity risks involved. This strategy requires recognition of the almost complete integration of IT with OT in modern deployments of Industry 4.0. Hence, it is necessary to start dealing with the same tools that exist in IT for the OT and IoT market. Cyber ​​2.0 was born in the IT market and developed and adapted its solution to address the other markets as well, believing in the vision that one system is needed to answer all the customer's needs.
Over the years, with the integration of IT into OT systems, approaches to cyber defense have also merged, but the main goals of the two disciplines remain clear.
IT and OT cybersecurity differ in fundamental ways, but not just because the systems often require different security controls. The real distinction is that IT and OT security practitioners have different goals for "securing" their assets and different definitions of "security." This is not surprising given that IT is primarily concerned with digital assets and OT is primarily concerned with physical assets.
Disabling or encrypting a computer or server does not disable the production of an entire plant, nor does stealing information from a server endanger the organization like stealing data or disrupting data from production systems
How should manufacturers respond?
There are lots of new solutions on the market to address different risks on different platforms
At the end of the day, manufacturers must test new technologies and start implementing them in their networks in order to provide the best protection for them. Otherwise, it will not be a question of if I will be attacked but a question of when I will be attacked