Why invest in Advisory Services for Operational Technology (OT)

Industry must navigate an increasingly complex threat landscape 

OT security has risen to the top of the priority list for most industrial organizations as a consequence of increased digitalization and a more advanced threat landscape. Industrial players today find themselves navigating unfamiliar terrain filled with new and constantly emerging risks – which now they must account for and work to mitigate. Securing the support of an OT advisory service provider can be a strategic advantage for any operation– helping them to minimize cyber threats and be better prepared in the event of attack.

It's time to improve yours security posture  

Your security posture refers to how well-equipped your organization is to predict, prevent, and respond to cyber threats. The number of cyber-attacks is only rising, and the means and methods employed by threat actors are only growing more sophisticated. On top of that, new regulations such as NIS2, are placing demands on organizations related to their security posture, making it essential to invest in robust security measures to safeguard business continuity.

By proactively addressing the vulnerabilities your operation may have and implementing comprehensive risk management strategies, with the help of an advisor, your operation will be better equipped to bolster its resilience, minimize downtime, and foster a more secure operating environment.    

3 reasons everyone across the business should be aware of cyber risks

1)  Risk awareness empowers people at all levels to recognize potential threats and vulnerabilities, which helps build a culture of accountability while also minimizing the risk of human errors that can be exploited by threat actors.
2)  Greater awareness around the risks can also help employees understand how a cyber-attack impacts the operation, leading to possible productivity, financial, or reputational losses.
3) When an organization shares an understanding of the cyber risks at stake, they can more effectively communicate and collaborate across the company, working together towards better incident response and greater resilience.  

Start building a strong security posture in your organization 
For industrial organizations looking to improve their security posture and build more resilience across the company, a good starting point is the IEC 62443 international cybersecurity standard for industrial businesses. IEC 62443 sets best practices for cybersecurity and enables an organization to assess their own security performance, with a specific focus on operational technology in automation and control systems found in industrial settings. An OT security advisor can help industrial businesses raise their own standards to be compliant with IEC 62443, aligning the digitalization path to include technical and process-related cybersecurity practices.  

Complying with IEC 62443 - how can OT security advisory serves help you?

Find the gaps
By engaging an OT security advisor, you can work together to fulfill the IEC 62443 Security Level GAP Analysis component of the standard. This is a structured framework that helps you identify the gaps and discrepancies between where you currently stand in terms of cyber security practices and where you should improve, in accordance with IEC 62443. Your advisor can use this framework to pinpoint your weaknesses or areas of non-compliance and help you prioritize mitigation efforts and resource allocation to help you more proactively protect your critical assets.

Assess the risks
Advisory services can also support the IEC 62443 Risk Assessment component. This involves an initial risk assessment, followed by detailed and ongoing risk assessment and analysis – given the ever-evolving threat picture. A risk assessment defines the scope, establishes security level targets, and identifies high-risk areas for analysis. By doing this, your organization can quickly determine the areas of highest risk (and likelihood for attack) and create an effective network segmentation strategy for secure communication between devices.

Manage the risks
Once the cyber risks and security factors have been defined, an advisory service can support you in developing a Cyber Security Risk Management System (CSMS). A CSMS includes a range of practices and actions designed to address cyber risks and establish effective countermeasures. It’s important to work with experts in this area to pinpoint the right measures to take for your organization. Companies today are viscerally aware that the consequences of a cyber-attack on industrial systems can be severe, leading to operational disruptions, loss of productivity, damage to equipment, data breaches or even harm to employees. By having a CSMS in place, you can be more proactive in implementing the right controls and having solid response plans at the ready to minimize any potential impact.

Assess maturity
There are varying levels of cyber security maturity across organizations today, which means that each business may be at a different starting point or have the same needs. An OT security advisor can be a powerful ally in helping your business prioritize security requirements based on the specific needs of the business. It’s also key that multiple parts of the business are on board, and advisors can help ensure the connection between the technical stakeholders and the other stakeholders across the company. In addition, cybersecurity enhancements to a company come at a cost, and an advisory service can support you in determining the appropriate financial investment level for your company.

Tailor your OT security solution to meet your needs
It’s important that any industrial company finds the right fit – meaning the security measures they take need to fit the actual risks and needs of the business. It’s not always one-size-fits-all. While you can look to your own industry for best practices, varying maturity levels may mean you have to forge a new path and base your approach on your own cyber-physical assets, operations, and the critical processes you perform.

At Omny, we are specialists in professional operational technology (OT) security services for industrial organizations. We work to help these businesses protect their assets by improving their security preparedness and raising risk awareness across their entire operation.