ZIUR recommends that the industry reinforce its security barriers, protect its data and segment OT and IT networks

ZIUR recommends that the industry reinforce its security barriers, protect its data and segment OT and IT networks

It launches a report on ‘Equipment fortification in industrial environments’ in which companies are asked to strengthen their efforts to deal with incidents that could paralyze their production or compromise their security

ZIUR has just published a report on ‘Equipment fortification in industrial environments’ in which it recommends implementing a proactive security strategy to avoid “a greater risk of suffering economic damage, loss of confidence and regulatory sanctions that could compromise their competitiveness”. In this regard, it advises reinforcing security barriers through advanced technologies and ensuring that critical systems are protected against unauthorized access and cyberattacks; segmenting OT and IT networks to limit the spread of threats, isolating the most sensitive operating systems and reducing the risk of global impact in the event of an attack; and protecting data against emerging vulnerabilities, guaranteeing its confidentiality, integrity and availability.

This document recalls that, according to Gartner, “in the coming years, more than 70% of companies that do not adopt robust cybersecurity measures will face significant incidents that will affect their operations.” Thus, the industry, especially those with a strong productive fabric, faces an “increasingly sophisticated” threat landscape. In addition, the inclusion of IoT systems and advanced automation has increased the vulnerable points within industrial networks.

“Protection in the industrial field is not just a matter of prevention, but a necessity to maintain competitiveness and reliability in a globalized market. Companies cannot afford interruptions or vulnerabilities that compromise their position against the competition,” warns this ZIUR report.

Main threats

The main digital threats faced by industrial control systems are targeted malware that interrupts critical processes, DDoS attacks that paralyze production; unauthorized access due to authentication failures or vulnerabilities in protocols not designed for cybersecurity. “These threats can lead to production stoppages, data exposure and supply chain disruption, affecting the productivity and reputation of companies” as has occurred in the Guipuzcoan industry, “where several sectors have faced digital attacks that have affected their operations and reputation,” the document insists.

Therefore, the hardening of industrial systems is a key process that consists of reinforcing the protection and resilience measures of industrial IT/OT systems, especially those that control industrial operations. This process involves implementing multiple layers of defense that make it difficult for malicious actors to enter, reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen recovery mechanisms against attacks. The objective is to mitigate potential threats and prevent attacks from significantly affecting industrial infrastructure.

The hardening of industrial systems not only seeks to mitigate these immediate threats, but, through strategic planning, allows each component to be proactively protected. To do this, it is necessary to identify and protect critical assets, reduce the attack surface and manage patches and updates.

Among the recommendations that the ZIUR report also includes for carrying out a comprehensive approach that allows maintaining solid security over time are implementing a continuous hardening cycle, carrying out periodic simulations and intrusion tests, collaborating with external experts and continuously training staff.

You can read the full report here: https://www.ziur.eus/en/-/report-on-equipment-hardening-in-industrial-environments