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OT CYBER SECURITY
SERVICES & CONSULTANCY

Best-in-class OT security services to enhance uptime, safety and resiliency by helping you identify, track and remediate risk across your OT Infrastructure.

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Industrial Firewall

Across different industrial verticals, organisations are experiencing sweeping technological changes. As the shift towards Digital Transformation (DX) and Industry 4.0 accelerates, the need to rethink security while designing networks grows only stronger.

While many businesses plan proactively for such disruptions and embrace such changes strategically, there will always be times when they get taken by surprise. The sudden and forceful wave of DX, increased demand for providing remote access and the immanent threat of ransomware have made OT Firewalls a must-have security item in every CISO’s shopping list.

An industrial firewall is a specialised firewall device designed for use in industrial control systems (ICS) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems protecting all sort of OT devices. Unlike traditional IT firewalls, industrial firewalls are designed to protect against specific security threats that are unique to industrial environments, such as cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. They are built to withstand harsh industrial conditions, such as extreme temperatures, vibrations, and electromagnetic interference.

Industrial firewalls typically provide network security functions such as stateful inspection, intrusion detection and prevention, virtual private network (VPN) support, access controls and application layer filtering. They are also designed to integrate with other security measures, such as intrusion detection systems and security information and event management (SIEM) solutions, to provide a comprehensive security solution for industrial networks.

Operational Technology (OT) firewalls and Information Technology (IT) firewalls are two different types of firewalls designed to meet the specific security needs of their respective industrial network and OT environments, IT and OT convergence in particular and in some instances, industrial internet of things IIoT and XIoT or Extended Internet of things.

IT firewalls are designed to protect IT networks, such as enterprise networks and data centers, from various types of cyber threats, such as malware, unauthorised access, and network intrusions. They are typically deployed at the perimeter of an IT network and use traditional security measures, such as stateful inspection, intrusion detection, and application-layer filtering, to secure the network.

OT firewalls, on the other hand, are specifically designed for use in operational technology systems, industrial control systems (ICS) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. They protect these systems from cyber threats that can compromise the control and operation of critical infrastructure, such as power plants, water treatment facilities, and manufacturing plants. OT firewalls provide security functions similar to IT firewalls, but are built to withstand harsh industrial conditions and are optimized for low latency and real-time communication requirements.

In summary, the main difference between OT firewalls and IT firewalls lies in their design and the environments they are intended to protect. OT firewalls are designed specifically for industrial control systems, while IT firewalls are designed for general IT networks.

OT Consultancy Services

OTIFYD provides turnkey Operational Technology (OT) consultancy and engineering services – from the design of new systems and upgrades to security assessment, remediation and network segmentation to ongoing managed security and reliability services. Our comprehensive consultancy services have been tailored to cover a wide range of client needs and include:

  • Risk Assessment
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Incident Response and Business Continuity
  • Table Top Exercises (TTX)
  • OT Threat Intelligence and Response
  • OT Security Posture and Vulnerability Assessment;
  • OT Asset Inventory
  • OT Network Segmentation
  • OT System Hardening
  • OT Penetration Testing
  • OT Security Training and Awareness
  • OT Cyber Security Framework (OT-CSF) Design, implementation and Assurance
  • OT Security Program Deployment and Management
  • OT Security Operations Centre (SOC)
  • Capital Projects Assurance
  • Sensor Level Security Monitoring and Detection Solutions
  • Malevolent Threat Actor Monitoring
  • Digital Forensics Incident Recovery (DFIR)
  • Resource Boost / Staff Augmentation

Our consultancy services are geared toward providing pragmatic “outcome-focused” improvement and risk reduction. This approach helps organisations justify OT cyber security improvements and the associated costs by being armed with better information and understanding of the “What, Why and How?” 

Finally, our consultancy services draw heavily upon industry best practices and standards/frameworks such as ISO/IEC 62443, ISO/IEC 27001, and ISF but can also be tailored to your specific needs.

OT Asset Discovery and Visibility

OT firewalls and OT asset discovery and visibility are two important components of a comprehensive security strategy for industrial control systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT) networks.

An OT firewall is a security device designed to protect industrial control systems and OT networks against cyber threats. It acts as a barrier between the ICS/OT network and other networks, such as the Internet, and monitors and controls the flow of traffic between these networks.

OT asset discovery and visibility refers to the process of identifying and tracking the assets connected to an ICS/OT network. This information is used to gain a complete understanding of the network topology and the devices and systems that are connected to it.

Together, OT firewalls and OT asset discovery and visibility provide organizations with a comprehensive view of their ICS/OT network and its security posture, enabling them to detect and respond to security incidents in a timely manner.

 

Auto-Generated Policy Recommendations

Auto-generated policy recommendations refer to a feature of some OT firewalls that automatically suggest and generate security policies based on network traffic and behaviour analysis. These recommendations are designed to help organizations quickly and easily deploy and maintain a secure network environment.

The benefits of auto-generated policy recommendations include:

Improved security: By automatically generating security policies based on network traffic and behaviour analysis, auto-generated policy recommendations help organizations ensure that their networks are protected against known and unknown threats.

Increased efficiency: Auto-generated policy recommendations save time and reduce manual effort by automating the process of generating security policies, reducing the risk of errors and inconsistencies.

Enhanced flexibility: Auto-generated policy recommendations can be easily customised and adjusted to meet the specific needs and requirements of an organisation.

Reduced complexity: Auto-generated policy recommendations simplify the process of deploying and maintaining a secure network environment, making it easier for organizations to manage their security policies and ensure compliance with industry and regulatory standards.

Auto-generated policy recommendations are a valuable tool for organizations looking to enhance the security of their industrial control systems and OT networks, providing a fast and efficient way to deploy and maintain a secure environment.

 

Virtual Patching

Virtual patching is the process of developing and deploying a temporary strategy to limit the risks of exploitation, a security feature that can be implemented in an OT firewall to provide protection against vulnerabilities in industrial control systems and operational technology (OT) networks. Virtual patching works by using software to simulate the effects of a patch or security update without actually applying the patch to the system.

The benefits of virtual patching include:

Rapid protection: Virtual patching provides rapid protection against vulnerabilities in industrial control systems and OT networks, without requiring a system shutdown or restart.

Improved security: Virtual patching helps reduce the risk of cyber-physical attacks and industrial espionage by providing an additional layer of security against known and unknown vulnerabilities.

Increased flexibility: Virtual patching can be used to protect systems and networks that are difficult to patch, such as legacy systems and critical infrastructure.

Reduced downtime: By avoiding the need to apply physical patches, virtual patching helps reduce downtime and minimize the impact on operations.

Virtual patching is a key feature of many OT firewalls, providing organizations with a flexible and effective way to secure their industrial control systems and OT networks against a wide range of threats.