Industrial networks today are no longer air-gapped and immune from cybersecurity threats. Although deploying a firewall and segmenting networks is a good first step, how are OT engineers, who primarily work with industrial protocols and may lack sufficient IT security expertise, supposed to prevent cybersecurity threats from infecting and spreading across networks? After all, the cybersecurity landscape is constantly changing and goes far beyond blocking the spread of worms or unauthorised PLC commands.
Moxa’s industrial cybersecurity solution is specifically designed to secure industrial networks from both an OT and IT perspective to better address the surging market demand for a comprehensive cybersecurity solution for industrial networks. The solution includes critical IT cybersecurity technologies such as an intrusion prevention system (IPS), a key component for defence-in-depth strategies, which has been specifically tailored to protect OT networks from cyber threats without disrupting industrial operations.
How Moxa’s industrial IPS works
Moxa’s industrial IPS features OT-centric deep packet inspection technology, enhances IT network security visibility, and ultimately helps mitigate risks and protects industrial networks from security threats. Deep packet inspection can identify multiple industrial protocols and allow or block specific functions, such as read or write access. Based on the identified protocol, the industrial IPS can then prevent any unauthorised protocols or functions. This way, users can be more confident that the traffic on their industrial networks is trusted and non-malicious. In addition, Moxa’s industrial IPS provides virtual patching of vulnerabilities for operating systems, application software, and industrial equipment such as PLCs. By effectively integrating OT and IT technologies, Moxa’s industrial IPS safeguards critical assets from the latest cybersecurity threats.
In order to ensure that network activity on industrial networks is authorised, Moxa’s industrial cybersecurity solution allows users to define granular access controls at different levels. They can define a whitelist of devices and IP ports that are allowed to access all or part of their entire
network. In addition, they can also define the authorised protocol format to prevent unauthorised commands from passing through the industrial IPS or firewalls. Furthermore, OT engineers can even define which control commands can pass through the network to reduce human error associated with sending a wrong control command. Whitelisting control significantly reduces the likelihood of a DoS attack by OT Trojans.
How to mitigate cyber risks while maintaining system availability
Risk 1: even though a north-south bound firewall has been implemented, unauthorised network access through third parties may still happen. Most serial data communication (proprietary protocols) are not encrypted, leaving the communication unsecured and open to exploitation
Risk 2: if users do not have a full understanding of their industrial network status, they may not be able to respond quickly or effectively.
Risk 3: leaving unused service ports open may lead to a DoS attack.
Risk 4: unauthorised devices may implant malware into the HMI which then spreads across the network.
Risk 5: most serial data communication protocols are not encrypted, leaving the communication unsecured and open to exploitation.
Risk 6: security patches are not available or feasible for PLCs.
Mitigating such vulnerabilities to secure industrial networks is Moxa’s first priority
IEC-G102-BP series (industrial IPS/IDS)
• Hummingbird-sized industrial security box with IPS/IDS.
• Fine-grained policy enforcement with whitelisting control.
• Bump-in-the-wire installation without impacting the network.
IEF-G9010 series (industrial firewall)
• Compact, security-hardened, and rugged design.
• Fine-grained layer 2 to layer 7 firewall policy with IPS capability.
• Industrial NAT and network segmentation.
Security dashboard console (security management software)
• Centralised cybersecurity management with real-time dashboards.
• OT visibility including device identification and network traffic analyser.
• Automatically deploy virtual patches without disrupting operations.
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