Industrial Cybersecurity Pulse’s top 5 articles from August 2023 covered how to build an effective cyber strategy for your organization, why communication is essential when creating a cybersecurity culture and whether the U.S. government is helping or hurting operational technology (OT) cyber risk. Here is our top-performing content from the past month.
1. Podcast Ep. 31: Mike Nelson on Building a Cyber Strategy
By Gary Cohen and Tyler Wall, CFE Media and Technology
When it comes to OT cybersecurity, too many companies are still asking the same question: How do we get started? At this point, there’s no excuse for not having a viable cybersecurity strategy. If the process seems difficult or confusing, there are some simple steps you can take. On the ICS Pulse Podcast, Mike Nelson of CyberCX discussed the value of security testing, why organizational buy-in is essential and what companies can do to get started on OT security.
2. Podcast Ep. 32: Leah Dodson on Cybersecurity Communication
By Gary Cohen and Tyler Wall, CFE Media and Technology
For some, cybersecurity can still seem like magic — especially on the OT/industrial control system (ICS) side. But if you break it down into its core components, anyone can get on the path to effective cybersecurity. It helps if everyone in your organization is on the same page. Leah Dodson of NextLink Labs joined the ICS Pulse Podcast to discuss the importance of communication and the value of nonmagical thinking.
3. The U.S. government impact on OT cyber risk
By Dale Peterson, Digital Bond
I’ve been frustrated with the mountains of OT security guidance and regulations coming from CISA and other U.S. government agencies. Most, but not all, of it is not wrong. It is documenting a large and growing set of OT security good practices. The frustration is a large amount of their recommendations and projects will have negligible impact on an asset owner’s or society’s OT cyber risk. Even worse, the gems in this large mound of rocks get lost. The actions that could make a difference in the next 1-3 years are fighting for attention and resources with the feel good, check mark, almost no-impact security controls.
4. 7 OT security lessons from the IT playbook
By Dino Busalachi, Velta Technology
The rapid convergence of OT and information technology (IT) has seen ICS become increasingly interwoven within enterprise networks. As the lines blur between these traditionally separate domains, a critical question arises: How do IT and OT work together effectively to bolster the cybersecurity defenses of OT environments? The answer, it seems, lies in the past. OT must embrace the processes and protocols that IT put in place more than 20 years ago for enterprise networks.
5. Detecting malware through hardware-integrated protection
By Justin Agan, Texas A&M
Imagine a computer that is not slowed down by antivirus software. A computer that does not require constant updates that usually include a subscription cost. What if malicious software and viruses – or malware – detection could simply be built into the hardware of future computers? Dr. Marcus Botacin, a visiting assistant professor in the computer science and engineering department at Texas A&M University, recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop such a concept.
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