Looking back on 2021 so far, it is not surprising that cybersecurity-related keywords have increased in popularity on Google Search according to the global Google Trends index. Among these keywords, ‘cybersecurity boot camp near me’ and ‘cybersecurity executive order’ are being searched for with greater frequency). It can no longer be denied that cybersecurity is a popular and important topic. It has been noted that cybersecurity is like a puzzle composed of different pieces that we need to understand and it is not a subject that we should delay giving attention to.
According to a report from Deloitte, four out of 10 manufacturers that were surveyed have experienced security incidents, with 86% of these stating that their industrial operations were disrupted. As the OT/IT convergence trend continues to gather pace, there are several attack surfaces emerging in industrial control systems. Although some of these are known vulnerabilities, there are also some that are unknown. Therefore, everyone from management to each individual user needs to join forces to enhance industrial cybersecurity from the edge to the cloud. In this article, we will consider some practical tips recommended by different industry experts to help organisations start their cybersecurity journey.
Tip 1: Deploy secure-by-design networking devices and set up devices securely.
Tip 2: Divide networks into multiple segments.
Tip 3: Adopt a secure communication solution for your critical data and assets.
Tip 4: Enhance industrial cybersecurity awareness from management to individual levels.
Tip 5: Examine the configurations and settings to follow the security policies.
Figure 1: Security awareness pyramid.
Reflection and moving forward
The popularity of the keyword ‘cybersecurity’ on Google Search will probably continue to increase in popularity in the near future since we know that organisations are trying to tap into the benefits of digital transformation and OT/IT convergence. There is no way we will be rolling back to the days of the past. That is why we hoped to offer a more holistic view by talking to multiple industry experts on industrial cybersecurity in this article.
• It is highly recommended to start with developing mindsets, formulating security policies and systematically examining configurations.
• Once the groundwork has been performed, you can then start to look at secure edge connectivity to protect the mixture of new and legacy systems.
• It is important to remember to secure the network backbone that helps deliver the data that is required to achieve OT/IT convergence.
• It is also recommended to install industrial firewalls to consolidate vertical and horizontal protection.
• Last but not least, with the increasing demands on remote connections, a hassle-free secure remote access solution will save you money and effort.
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