Protecting critical infrastructure from cyber attacks

In 2010, it a computer virus attack on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, that become a key moment of the network safety history.Previous attacks aimed at traditional IT environment, the incident marked a new era of network attack.With threat situation evolves, IT threatened the attacker will start operating technology (OT) environment as a new attack surface to expand its activities.They have good reason to do so, why?Because many of the evaluation show that OT environment lag than IT environment security, safety of 25 years.It broke the physical isolation (computer is not connected to the Internet, or any other connection network system) to provide false comfort, we also noticed that a similar trick to OT last year launched a network attack system, the more frequent.The network security and infrastructure security (CISA) recently released a data description[I], in which emphasis is put forward in 2021 and OT assets and industrial control system software threats related to blackmail the status quo.CISA said: "because of critical infrastructure is very important to U.S. national security and people's lives and all accessible OT assets has attracted the interest of malicious network attacker."

Network attackers are no longer only for a particular industry.SolarWinds network attack spread to at least 100 private enterprises and nine government agencies.The hacking a Florida water supply system, cause an effect to 15000 residents of local water supply.Colonial Pipeline is America's largest fuel Pipeline operators, recently because the network attack, the company was forced to shut down the service.These attacks make people feel uncomfortable, also let people realize that network attack may lead to critical infrastructure operation interruption, cause the high price, and a disastrous chain reaction to the national economy.As companies push and implement IT infrastructure automation, information technology (IT) and operation technology (OT) between systems become inseparable, critical infrastructure providers must take active safety measures.

Claroty according to a survey, 56% of IT in industrial enterprises and OT feedback security professionals, from the new champions league since the outbreak, the network security threats have increased.70% of security professionals said at the same time, the network criminal adopted new tricks in the attacks.[ii]Critical infrastructure companies to effectively protect the safety of themselves with the customer, must be a multi-pronged approach.

Critical infrastructure companies to ensure network security 5 things to consider

Network health

Like IT, OT network health also should do well.Subsection control and repair the firmware/software, the multifactor authentication of America (MFA), password management and asset management, all of these are important measures to protect the safety of OT environment.Equally important, enterprises must be alert to the problem, but also to understand their vulnerable to a variety of attacks.Because of the threat situation in continuous change, companies and government agencies must take active measures to attack activities closely related information, and actively communicate relevant insights, at the same time should not ignore information from various sources, including network security and infrastructure security safety announcement (CISA)[iii].

On May 12, 2021, released by the White House presidential executive order (EO) change in the definition of "system".In the past, the word "system" refers to the IT system.In the latest release of the EO, the definition of the word "system" has expanded, now it also includes OT mechanical system.In addition to the established industrial control system security framework, NIST SP. 800-82[iv]- the EO also opened all the major framework (e.g., NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP. 800-171 and CMMC), can be applied to the OT environment.

collaboration

Nowadays, collaboration is the key to crack down on Internet crime.President Joe biden on how to improve the network security of administrative order in the near future[v]Top summit and related network made it clear that the government also agree with this policy.Equinix与信息共享和分析中心分享应对威胁的最佳做法和经验，并通过客户服务经理向客户传达信息。我们的社群通过 Equinix 生态系统与同行、第三方提供商以及执法机构共享威胁情报，以便大家都能做足准备，应对风险。

education

Stanford university and a leading network security organization, the researchers found that about 88% of the data reveal that is caused by human error.[vi]Let staff fully realize that safety is a common responsibility of the enterprise and employees, and which way could make the company faced security risks, it is very important.

Science and technology

To predict, prevent or reduce as far as possible attack technology investment, should be consistent with the enterprise future demand.Enterprises should forecast the future development direction and understand and then to make corresponding investment risk.By 2031, global blackmail the damage caused by software is expected to exceed $265 billion[vii], therefore, we need to make informed investment decisions.

Operational efficiency

When making technology investment, must work closely with stakeholders, so that you can understand the decisions which influence on the various business departments, at the same time also can let them know the urgency to protect the safety of data and application.Take the initiative to capture threat and loopholes in management are important safety operation method, risk mitigation can be as a priority.These important action should be coordinated, and a comprehensive understanding of the dependencies between these operations will be helpful to improve the operation efficiency and shorten the response time during the attack.

EquinixHow to protect themselves and the safety of the customer?

Platform Equinix ™Is a powerful and secure infrastructure platform, give full consideration to the safety of his design, that is to say, the security is rooted in all of our technical tool peace in taichung.This platform can be implemented with a hybrid cloud security interconnection - when we collect the OT on the edge, across multiple sites and multiple cloud data sharing or migration IoT data and workload, security interconnection is crucial., let OT can completely control their own data and its surrounding safety system.Because these deployed in the physical security facilities, and through the strict access control for the continuous monitoring, therefore, deploy itself become a threat to prevent invasion of a protective measures.

Equinix conducted on personnel, technology and process a large amount of investment, to prevent, detect and respond to cyber attacks.We use deep packet inspection and is more suitable for other OT environmental technology to supplement the traditional IT security technology, across the OT, IT and the physical environment safety information collection and communication between monitoring equipment, thus help to prevent and to predict risk.

Machine learning can help us to realize the automation and start the process safety risk analysis, so as to minimize the need for human intervention, at the same time provide valuable insights for us in covering the safety of each region copy process.We will share with customers, partners, and law enforcement agencies, intelligence, and information about threats, and network security professional knowledge.We also invest their resources for the global staff to carry out the network security awareness training program, in order to minimize the risks from human error.The plan includes the phishing simulation course, network ambassador training, safety university, according to different position (DevSecOps training, for example), as well as the conventional safety awareness training.

With critical infrastructure group to the shareholders of a company and its community service by the major responsibility.When across IT and OT environment, network security situation will become more complicated.By improving the safety consciousness, cooperation, training, pay attention to the technology, operational efficiency and suitable for enterprise will be able to minimize its impact.

For more information on how to ensure the safety of enterprise,Please read the introduction of solution, know how to make use of honeywell in Platform Equinix industry experience and mature operating technology (OT) network security professional knowledge.

[I]CISA situation description: blackmail software keeps increasing, the security threat OT assets

[ii]Claroty results show you insight into the new crown outbreak of industrial network security situationOn October 6, 2020

[iii]ICS - CERT notice | CISA

[iv]Industrial control system (ICS) safety guide (nist. Gov)

[v]To improve national network security administrative commands | of the White House

[vi]Human error psychology | Tessian

[vii]By 2031, the global losses caused by extortion software could exceed $265 billionEIN Presswire, on June 4, 2021