A rash of high-profile cyberattacks on industrial organisations is driving a renewed understanding of the criticality of having an effective Operational Technology (OT) security strategy.
In its survey of decision makers from 1,000 large organisations, Cisco noted that the overwhelming majority label cybersecurity as a top priority. Many – 37% – see cybersecurity risks as a barrier to growth while 40% worry about the scarcity of skilled workers stalling expansion plans.
In its mid-year report, the OT security provider OTORIO reported that 88% of security professionals cited serious disruption in their OT environments over the last 12 months due to cyber attacks, while 75% percent said their level of anxiety about the level of risk to their OT environments is higher than it was a year ago.
Enterprises recognise the importance of modernising their industrial infrastructures. The Cisco research revealed most organisations are increasing their OT investments, with 63% considering raising infrastructure spending. Some 16% significantly increased spending this year.
The number increases in correspondence the larger the companies’ revenues are, as 24% of enterprises with revenues over $30bn made a substantial OT infrastructure investment increase in the last year.
No less than 41% of decision makers said the most critical security issues are associated with vulnerabilities in legacy systems and outdated software, while 40% noted malware and ransomware attacks against OT and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) were the biggest risks to operational continuity.
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By GlobalDataA collaborative approach to IT and OT security
There is an increasingly understanding their needs to be more of a collaborative approach to IT and OT security. Some 27% of those surveyed by Cisco said limited SOC visibility into OT security policies put their environments at risk.
Consensus was clear as 87% said that in the next two years there will be a significant benefit in having a consolidated cybersecurity construct for IT and OT networks. The number is even higher among executives at 92%.
The long road ahead
While the direction is clear, it is also apparent that organisations have a long and complicated road to travel before they arrive at that more collaborative destination. That said, there is no shortage of guidance available to all parties through standards bodies, governments, and non-profits.
The obvious first step is to get OT and IT professionals talking through organised working groups, overseen directly by executives.
