Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
- The UK government’s cybersecurity arm has issued a guide to help companies secure their OT and ICS hardware
- RITICS recommends best practices, incident response procedures, and training for OT networks
The UK government’s cybersecurity arm, RITICS, has released a guide to assist companies in enhancing the security of their operational technology (OT) and industrial control system (ICS) hardware. The guide emphasizes the importance of understanding the differences between OT/ICS networks and traditional IT networks, with a focus on maintaining availability and integrity rather than just data confidentiality.
RITICS suggests that incident response plans should cater to both IT and ICS/OT systems, with specific consideration for the unique characteristics of ICS/OT environments. The group recommends a tailored response plan for ICS/OT systems, which may vary based on different sites, industrial processes, or functionalities within an operator’s estate.
In the event of an attack, proper identification and isolation are crucial for minimizing damage. RITICS stresses the importance of training operations, engineering, and maintenance teams to recognize and report suspicious behavior to enhance event detection coverage.
Furthermore, RITICS highlights the significance of understanding existing logging and monitoring coverage within an organization’s environment for effective incident response. Regardless of the security measures in place, knowing how to implement them and analyze collected data is key to securing OT and ICS networks.
In conclusion, the guide emphasizes the necessity of a proactive approach to securing OT and ICS hardware, focusing on incident response procedures, team training, and thorough logging and monitoring coverage to mitigate potential risks effectively.
