Mixing Traditional OT and Connected Technologies Creates Security Gaps

Rising threats to vehicles and industrial operational technology (OT) are driving companies around the world to invest in advanced technologies and services to better protect their assets, according to an ISG research report.

Amid recent cyberattacks on manufacturing facilities and connected cars, cybersecurity has become a top priority for companies in manufacturing, automotive, life sciences, and other industries, according to the report. The urgent need to modernize or replace legacy systems, combined with a shortage of skilled cybersecurity engineers, is fueling the growth of solution and outsourcing providers.

ISG partner Bob Krohn said: “Companies are rapidly building capabilities to secure both operational technology and mobility.”

Machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and machine learning have helped industrial companies improve quality, maintenance, and machine life, but many companies are now relying on traditional OT and connected technologies, which are riddled with security gaps. are used in complex combinations. Their current he OT security solutions often require greater visibility into IoT, mobile, and wireless assets. Enterprises are looking for an easy-to-deploy solution that gives them visibility into all their assets.

While most companies with OT security challenges have implemented systems to detect and proactively thwart threats, some also use decoys and deception to ward off attackers. Expanding.

ISG predicts that the next wave of OT security solutions will focus on big data. They collect similar information from multiple customers, especially manufacturing companies, and create a data lake where machine learning algorithms generate security insights and recommendations.

Concerns about mobility security are particularly acute in the automotive industry, intensified by the rise in cyber-attacks on vehicles and the introduction of new regulations that impose requirements to protect vehicles. Major automotive hazards include Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) spoofing, which allows attackers to control a vehicle, ship, or aircraft, and threats that take advantage of the increasing number of sensors around modern vehicles. increase.

To combat these threats, automotive OEMs and suppliers are turning to new tools from mobility security providers such as firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and software running on microcontrollers and CPUs. I’m here.

Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader of ISG Provider Lens Research, said: “New smart vehicle platforms require smart security, and providers are pushing for new solutions.”