Today’s adversaries are getting smarter, stealthier, and targeting operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) with unprecedented persistence. From maritime operations at U.S. ports, to electric power systems, to satellites in space, cyber-physical attacks on these systems can yield catastrophic results. An intelligent and proactive cyber defense is crucial to maintaining the safety, reliability, and security of critical infrastructure systems.

The Department of War (DOW) relies on millions of ICS across numerous installations and buildings. These systems are responsible for real-time automated monitoring and control of industrial processes essential to operations across critical infrastructure sectors. Through the convergence of OT and IT, integrating legacy systems with modern installation infrastructure introduces new vulnerabilities and expands the attack surface. Civil engineers and cyber leaders may face a litany of challenges, including:

• No one tool/sensor can provide visibility into all threats; to see the whole picture, aggregation and correlation are required
• Cybersecurity skills are limited within the OT environment; collaboration with Cyber Fusion Center (CFC) analysts is required to facilitate response
• Legacy equipment and vendor restrictions limit endpoint tool coverage; thorough analysis may be needed to determine attack distribution
• Sensitivity in OT environments requires many tools to be passive; proper network architecture and tool deployment is critical to timely threat detection

OT/ICS environments contain a variety of specialized equipment and software that often face strict engineering and change control processes. A resilient OT/ICS cyber defense strategy must involve all layers of ICS operations, including organizational mission, industrial processes, IT network, OT running the ICS, and the security culture. By systematically inventorying, analyzing, and remediating vulnerable systems—and introducing continuous monitoring tools—organizations can manage risk and build resilience.

1. Inventory: Understanding the Assets

Creating a detailed inventory of all OT/ICS assets, including make, model, configuration, and dataflow, is essential. This inventory helps identify vulnerabilities and serves as the foundation for a process map used in further analysis.

2. Analysis: Mapping the OT Environment

ICS/OT environments demand high levels of uptime. Implementing and configuring security tools and logging activities could be perceived as disruptive to ongoing operations, complicating their integration into existing systems. Using a process map, security teams can tailor remedies to mitigate risk without disrupting OT/ICS activities. Collaboration between security teams and engineers helps identify traditional and nontraditional vulnerabilities. OT’s deliberate engineering allows for effective baselining and anomaly detection. Tactics could include:

• Executing maturity assessments and cyber risk assessments on current systems
• Expanding visibility through enterprise-wide anomaly detection and analytics
• Developing managed detection and response (MDR) models that balance response and remediation needs (in-source, hybrid, or outsourced)
• Risk prioritization
  

3. Remediation: Implementing a Sound Strategy

Following the risk assessment, OT security experts can anticipate which components can be safely updated, where monitoring tools can be introduced, and which actions might cause system disruptions. Additionally, continuous analysis of real-time data against established baselines helps verify system responses and detect anomalies. We recommend:

• Implementing a zero trust architecture to ensure least privilege access to critical systems
• Performing model and simulation exercises through cyber-physical testbeds like Booz Allen’s Cyber Digital Twin Framework
• Testing software and hardware components in secure labs, such as Booz Allen’s OT Cyber Lab in Chantilly, VA, to ensure that patching security vulnerabilities maintains functionality and doesn’t inadvertently expand the attack surface
• Training teams on new tools and protocols for greater efficiency and speed
• Accelerating real-time defenses with machine-to-machine identity and AI-powered cyber technology
  

4. Continuous Visibility and Incident Response

Operators need visibility into both process and security environments to maintain a resilient OT defense strategy. Integrating operational centers with security and network operations centers can address this need. AI-enhanced threat analysis can assist by monitoring activity logs for early warning signs of intrusion. And when breaches occur, an expedited cyber incident response is critical to an organization’s recovery.

Securing OT/ICS systems can be a daunting challenge, but you don’t have to do it alone. By adopting a holistic, systematic approach, cyber leaders can effectively safeguard these critical systems and build resilience—ensuring mission continuity in the face of cyber attacks. Taking best practices and innovations developed across federal and commercial spaces, Booz Allen is here to help you solve complex OT/ICS challenges and stay one step ahead of the adversary.