Proactive Risk Monitoring: The Key to OT-SOC Efficiency & Cyber Resilience

We have many partners that Provides OT-SOC services (MDR) utilizing our platforms and the number is growing rapidly. Some of them are pure play OT but many of them are IT- SOC that are building up another revenue stream by handling OT alerts. The step for them can be quite large as this is 2 different worlds and the playbooks are very different.

But one challenge they all face is to find, train and to keep skilled staff that can handle L2-L3 alerts. We are currently seeing a big fight for talents across the MDR service players where sometimes whole teams are lured away by competitors. This creates shortages in staff and makes meeting SLA challenging as staff must handle more tasks until they can backfill and train new staff.

The other challenge we are seeing for OT-SOC providers is to find the balance between detecting anomalies, responding to incidents and managing the ever-increasing flood of SVEs. CVEs are at best handled by a Separate Vulnerability Management team, but the SOC service providers need to understand and manage when a CVE could be exploited. So, Detection of anomalies and the contextual understanding on when a CVE can be or is exploited in the network are the central part in the daily work. But with more and more CVEs popping up, this can make the service very labour intensive and increase cost immensely. There is also a long learning curve on how to handle patching in IT vs OT especially around time to implement patches and they need to fully understand the OT environment to be able to provide a service.

In order to manage this, there has to be a shift in focus towards prevention of problems. Proactive OT monitoring enables organizations to identify potential vulnerabilities and mitigate risks before they escalate into incidents and thus saves the end client and the SOC service provider time and Money

What is Proactive Risk Monitoring

Proactive risk monitoring in OT involves actively identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential risks to OT systems before they result in security incidents or operational disruptions. In contrast to reactive measures, which are triggered after an issue occurs, proactive risk monitoring aims to prevent problems by continuously analysing and addressing vulnerabilities and threats in advance. Here’s how it works in an OT context:

Key Components of Proactive Risk Monitoring in OT:

1. Continuous Asset and Vulnerability Management:

• Asset Discovery: Identifying and inventorying all OT assets, including industrial control systems (ICS), SCADA systems, sensors, actuators, and network devices. This helps ensure visibility into potential risks across the entire OT environment.
• Vulnerability Scanning: Regularly scanning OT systems for known vulnerabilities (such as CVEs) and outdated software or firmware and assessing the impact they might have on operations.
• Patch Management: Proactively applying patches or updates to OT systems when vulnerabilities are identified to reduce the risk of exploitation.

2. Threat Intelligence Integration:

• Incorporating external threat intelligence feeds to monitor for emerging risks targeting OT environments, including zero-day threats and vulnerabilities actively being exploited by cybercriminals or nation-state actors.
• This can also involve collaborating with industry-specific information-sharing groups (e.g., ISA/IEC, ICS-CERT) to stay informed about new threats.

3. Network Monitoring and Traffic Analysis:

• Continuously monitoring OT networks for signs of unusual or unauthorized activity. This involves using specialized tools to analyse network traffic for anomalies that could indicate an attempted attack or failure in the system.
• Network segmentation and monitoring of communication between IT and OT environments are key strategies to limit exposure to potential attacks.
• Using machine learning or advanced analytics to establish baselines for normal operations and detect deviations from these baselines. For example, identifying unusual behaviour from PLCs, sensors, or other OT devices could indicate a risk or vulnerability being exploited.
• Anomalies such as unexpected changes in system performance, control commands, or device malfunctions could signal a potential issue, prompting further investigation.

4. Access Control and Identity Management:

• Enforcing strict access controls to OT systems and regularly reviewing permissions to prevent unauthorized access. This includes managing user accounts, authentication methods, and ensuring that only authorized personnel can interact with critical OT systems.
• Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for sensitive OT environments is part of this proactive strategy.
• This also involves ensuring that OT systems are protected from physical environmental risks like power surges or environmental damage.

5. Regulatory Compliance and Standards Adherence:

• Ensuring that OT systems adhere to industry-specific regulations and standards (e.g., NERC CIP for energy, IEC 62443 for industrial automation). Proactive risk monitoring ensures that the organization remains compliant with required cybersecurity controls and best practices.

So, what are the Benefits of Proactive Risk Monitoring in OT:

• Prevention of Downtime: By identifying and mitigating risks early, proactive monitoring helps prevent disruptions or downtime in critical OT systems, which can have severe operational and financial consequences.
• Reduced Attack Surface: By addressing vulnerabilities and ensuring systems are up to date, organizations reduce the chances of being exploited by cybercriminals or malicious actors.
• Increased Resilience: Proactive measures help OT systems remain resilient to both cyber and physical threats, ensuring that operations can continue smoothly even in the face of potential attacks.
• Compliance Assurance: It helps OT systems maintain compliance with cybersecurity regulations, avoiding penalties and ensuring continued operation within regulatory frameworks.
• Faster Incident Detection and Response: When proactive monitoring is in place, threats and incidents are detected earlier, enabling faster responses to contain and mitigate damage.

In Summary:

Proactive risk monitoring in OT is about continuously assessing and managing risks before they become active threats or incidents. It involves staying ahead of potential issues by regularly scanning for vulnerabilities, monitoring for abnormal activities, leveraging threat intelligence, and implementing strong access controls. This approach helps ensure OT environments are secure, resilient, and compliant with industry regulations.