Securing Critical Infrastructure Against Cyber Threats
Securing critical infrastructure has never been more urgent. The FBI reported that over 40% of ransomware attacks in 2023 targeted critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, water, transportation, healthcare, communications, and financial services. Additionally, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have warned about escalating cyber threats from state-sponsored actors and other malicious entities.
A notable example is last year’s attack on American Water. While details remain undisclosed, speculation suggests a ransomware attack impacted customer portals and billing systems. Fortunately, operational water systems remained unaffected. This incident underscores the urgency of implementing Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA) and network microsegmentation to prevent IT breaches from compromising operational technology (OT) systems.
The Growing IT & OT Security Risks
Traditionally, IT and OT operated separately. IT focuses on data management, while OT controls industrial equipment, assets, and processes, including SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), Industrial Control Systems (ICS), and Distributed Control Systems (DCS). Think of OT as devices that control the physical world (power grids, machinery, pipelines).
Historically, OT systems were closed, accessible only via secure terminals. However, Industry 4.0 and IoT advancements have connected OT systems with sensors, big data, and analytics. As a result, remote workers, contractors, and third-party partners now require access to both IT and OT environments, increasing the attack surface.
Cybercriminals exploit these vulnerabilities to infiltrate critical infrastructure, alter configurations, and even disrupt essential services, posing risks to entire communities. Securing critical infrastructure through robust cybersecurity strategies is more important than ever!
Zero Trust and Microsegmentation
Zero trust assumes no user, device, or system is inherently trustworthy, requiring continuous verification for every access request. While tools like IAM, PAM, and MFA enhance security, they don’t address a crucial question: What happens when an attacker bypasses these defenses?
This is where microsegmentation plays a vital role. By dividing a network into isolated segments, it limits an attacker’s ability to move laterally, containing and preventing breaches from spreading to critical assets.
Microsegmentation is essential for critical infrastructure companies, offering granular security controls that protect on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments. According to Gartner, 60% of enterprises implementing zero trust will deploy multiple forms of microsegmentation by 2026—up from just 5% in 2023.
10 Best Practices for Securing Critical Infrastructure
When it comes to securing critical infrastructure, managers need to evaluate their risk and build a strategy focused on zero trust principles. Begin with these 10 best practice tips:
- Assume Breach and Minimize Impact – Operate as if a breach has already occurred. Use network segmentation, data encryption, and real-time threat analysis to detect and respond quickly.
- Map Network Assets – Identify, visualize and map critical network assets, workloads, and traffic flows to determine high-priority security zones.
- Increase OT System Visibility – Implement monitoring tools to track industrial control systems and quickly isolate security incidents.
- Secure IoT Passwords – While companies have strict password policies for users, they don’t always apply to servers, applications, and IoT devices. Enforce strong authentication for IoT devices and rotate credentials regularly.
- Leverage IAM Solutions – Implement MFA, SSO, and PAM to ensure only verified users access segmented areas.
- Start with High-Value Segmentation Projects – Focus on isolating smart devices or business functions that provide immediate security benefits.
- Apply Granular Segmentation Policies – Secure workloads and applications at a detailed level to limit lateral movement.
- Continuously Monitor and Update Policies – Regularly review segmentation rules and monitor network traffic for anomalies, especially as you add, remove or make changes to infrastructure.
- Test for Breach Scenarios – Conduct penetration testing to simulate attacks. This helps you identify potential gaps or vulnerabilities and refine your segmentation strategies.
- Back Up Critical Systems – Maintain secure backups to restore operations quickly in case of ransomware attacks.
The 12Port Horizon Advantage
12Port Horizon makes microsegmentation practical and accessible for critical infrastructure organizations. With deployment times of under an hour, it enables quick segmentation of network workloads, strengthening zero trust defenses across IT and OT environments. Key features include:
- Hierarchically partitioned asset database for secure segmentation
- Microsegmentation visualization tools to visualize and map traffic patterns and interactions
- Intelligent tagging and role-based access for streamlined management
- Object versioning to maintain security integrity
Download a free trial or schedule a personalized demo to see how 12Port Horizon helps secure critical infrastructure and fortify your zero trust strategy.
The post Securing Critical Infrastructure Against Cyber Threats appeared first on 12Port.
*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from 12Port authored by Peter Senescu. Read the original post at: https://www.12port.com/blog/securing-critical-infrastructure-against-cyber-threats/
