Manufacturers: to effectively protect your OT networks, comply with the IEC 62443 standard

Manufacturing OT networks are vulnerable

Manufacturing environments have the particularity of being difficult to protect. Traditional IT technologies (servers, workstations, IT applications) and operating technologies (OT) used to operate production lines, control temperature and humidity, etc. coexist in these environments.

Manufacturing networks include systems with the latest operating systems, but also some that are not supported (Windows 2008, XP, etc.) and for which some suppliers have even disappeared from the market, which makes these environments very vulnerable.

Moreover, OT equipment has a longer lifespan (10, 20 years if not more) than IT equipment (a few years). The management of OT security vulnerabilities is not done by most manufacturers, which means that these devices accumulate several critical vulnerabilities over time. Add to this the fact that devices are put into production with default passwords, which makes them even more vulnerable to attacks.

Add to that the fact that the move to Industry 4.0 (IT/OT interconnection) makes manufacturing networks more visible on the Internet, increasing the attack surface.

OT environments have their own specificity and cannot be secured by applying the norms and standards used to secure IT networks.

In the field of OT network protection, one security standard is authoritative and we strongly recommend that you use it to protect your manufacturing networks. It is the IEC 62443 standard.

Presentation of the IEC 62443 standard

The IEC 62443 standard is an international framework for cybersecurity management, specifically designed for the protection of industrial and OT control systems. It provides best practices to ensure that OT networks are continuously protected. It focuses on the following elements (non exhaustive list)

Identifying and managing security risks, especially those that can have a significant impact on the availability of OT networks.

Identification and management of OT security risks
Identification and correction of OT security vulnerabilities.
Measures to be implemented to ensure the availability of OT networks in the event of a cyber attack.
Monitoring OT networks to detect and respond quickly to cyber attacks,
etc.

IEC 62443 recommends a defense-in-depth strategy for OT networks

The IEC 62443 standard recommends a multi-layered protection strategy to enhance the security of OT systems. Also known as a defense-in-depth strategy, the goal is to implement multiple security measures at various levels, so that when one measure is compromised, there are still other measures that can slow the attacker down or prevent him from achieving his goal.

This is how to effectively protect an OT network.

Regulatory compliance and competitive advantage

Relying on the IEC 62443 standard helps manufacturers to effectively protect their OT networks, while enabling them to comply with current regulations. In fact, many countries and industries have begun to incorporate IEC 62443 into their cybersecurity regulations and guidelines.

By adopting this standard, manufacturers show that cybersecurity is a priority for them, which increases the level of confidence of their business partners. Ultimately, this standard gives them a competitive advantage in a market characterized by sustained interconnection.

How can StreamScan help you with your OT security?

For many years, Streamscan has specialized in the protection of manufacturing environments. Our OT cybersecurity experts have many years of experience with the IEC 62443 standard and will help you identify and implement the appropriate measures to protect your OT networks from cyberattacks.