Five Convergence Solutions to Help Manufacturing Cross the IT-OT Security Schism
Industrial, and in particular discrete manufacturing, is said to be lagging behind other industries when it comes to converging its OT and IT technology, according to Industry Week. For example, financial institutions and healthcare facilities have converged their operational technology, like HVAC systems and building automation gear, onto the same IP network they use for communications. Manufacturers, on the other hand, have waited to jump into convergence, fearing it could lead to costly downtime or open up unwanted vulnerabilities.
But not all is lost. In fact, this slow convergence can actually work to industries’ advantage. By examining key learnings and adapting best practices to fit their unique methodology, the industry can catch up and begin to enjoy the production, economic and security benefits now enjoyed in the financial, consumer and healthcare markets.
To be fair, industrial has faced far more difficult issues than other industries in realizing this convergence. For example, manufacturing has a complex shop floor with thousands of moving parts. A simple chink in the production line can cost millions of dollars, cause bodily harm to workers or even put customers at risk. As a result, OT organizations have created a risk-averse environment.
The functional division between OT and IT organizations has long sheltered the shop floor from cybersecurity risk. However, with the rise of lloT and other Ethernet enabled devices, operation managers are now facing new challenges and responsibilities at a time when demand is high, their resources are stretched and unrelenting security threats are aplenty.
Regardless of how painful a convergence may be, turning back the clock is no longer a viable option. The benefits to lloT are numerous and undeniable, and bridging the worlds of OT and IT could provide manufacturers with the competitive advantage needed to gain both marketspace and market share.
An example (Read more...)
*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from The State of Security authored by Shelah Johnson. Read the original post at: https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/ics-security/convergence-solutions-manufacturing-it-ot-security-schism/
