HOW ATS AND CISCO PROTECT BUSINESSES VIA INTEGRATED INNOVATIONS
In the dynamically shifting state of modern industry, there are a multitude of reasons to protect one’s company, or enhance and strengthen its existing cyber security measures.
As recent cases of malware intrusions on critical infrastructure, such as the Triton attack and the Colonial pipeline case have shown, the need to meet cyber security challenges head on, and further advance existing protection only grows.
In addition to that, cyber security fundamentals of today are on a drastically different level than that of 10 years ago; in contemporary industry, a comprehensive, detailed protection approach should be considered a starting point.
Still, for many industrial sites, IT and OT still operate in silos. There is little communication between these separate departments, and no full understanding of the way the other side operates – a critical flaw in the system and an antiquated way of structuring things.
However, many rely on it because of the fundamentally different ways industrial OT and IT departments work. For example, operational technology is built for a much longer lifecycle, and with little to no security updates in mind. And this is precisely why IT personnel often has trouble comprehending basic OT operation and modes of protection – as it has very little in common with the way IT departments implement their own security policies.
This leads to poor ICS/OT cyber security implementations, which only causes more problems down the road.
Failure to recognize the need for OT and IT synergy in industry today can only lead to significant damage. Both departments, after all, even with all their differences, have a shared purpose – and that is maintaining asset security, minimizing risk and maximizing productivity.
With this in mind, as industrial cyber security solutions strive to keep evolving, merging IT and OT becomes essential to building firm protection protocols.
But best how to approach this crucial integration?
THE PURDUE ENTERPRISE REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE (AKA THE PURDUE MODEL)
In search of a standardized model that can help develop a stable framework for operations and security, many industrial organizations turn to the Purdue model – a reference used to provide precise guidelines just for this purpose.
The Purdue model segments industrial operations into six levels:
- IoT and OT:
(0) Physical Process
(1) Sensors, Actuators, instrumentation
(2) Product Supervision and Control, Real Time Monitoring
- Manufacturing zone:
(3) Network Management Tools, Data and Edge Device
Management, Cyber Vision
- DMZ
- IoT information technology:
(4) Production scheduling, engineering management,
business processes
(5) Enterprise Business Planning, Logistics, Engineering
This hierarchy suggests the necessity of IT and OT technologies working together – which is critical for a cybersecurity structure that wants to keep up with the challenges of today. Not only does industrial IT/OT collaboration reduce overhead costs, but it also enhances overall performance and productivity, along with guaranteeing firm protection procedures.
This is the fundamental cybersecurity approach that ATS and Cisco have been nourishing for years.
ATS AND CISCO SYSTEMS
Advanced Technical Solutions was founded in 2003 with the goal of becoming one of the leading ICT system integrators in the UAE and the wider region.
After recognizing the need in the market, ATS extended its attention to the issue of cyber security in 2012.
Continuing to expand our services and working to further specialize in our areas of interest, ATS established the ICS/OT cyber security department in 2016, offering integrated protective solutions for critical infrastructure operations.
Furthermore, the company’s efforts to continue evolving and keep ahead of the curve brought us the Cisco IoT Advantage Specialization Partner certification in 2020.
ATS has, in this way, become the first company to carry this certification in the MEA region.
This title of Cisco’s IoT Advantage Specialization Partner allows ATS to be further established as leading experts when it comes to custom-designed solutions via cutting-edge technology. This qualification, along with high-level consulting services, works to ensure long-term maintenance and support of cyber security systems across industry sectors.
Leveraging Cisco’s IoT solutions portfolio, ATS aims to assist critical infrastructures in achieving better asset visibility, and aims to deliver integrated solutions that cover all three cyber security fundamentals: Identification, Protection, and Maintenance.
IDENTIFICATION
The preliminary step of assuring integrated, all-encompassing protection, is starting with a detailed ICS asset inventory.
Knowing what inventory your site is operating with at all times, from ICS network and dataflow insight to ICS vulnerability assessments, should be your first move – before continuing on to the implementation of actual new protection solutions.
ATS can deliver this by utilizing Cisco Cyber Vision – a solution that has been specifically designed for industrial organizations to gain full visibility into their
industrial networks, so they can ensure process integrity, build secure infrastructures, drive regulatory compliance, and enforce security policies to control risks.
Cisco Cyber Vision combines a unique edge monitoring architecture and deep integration with Cisco’s leading security portfolio. It can be easily deployed at
scale to monitor your industrial assets and their application flows in real time – as an ideal solution that bridges your OT with your IT to build a unified cybersecurity infrastructure.
PROTECTION
Another Cisco product ATS holds in its portfolio are industrial firewalls, developed with industrial protocols in mind and therefore representing exactly the ruggedized defence approach OT needs.
Industrial firewalls come with the advantage of a design made to withstand the extreme conditions much of industrial operation consists of: from high/low temperatures to risks of shocks and electrical surges.
But what’s more important is the visibility and control these firewalls provide, extending the same security policies across both your IT and OT – together with advanced threat detection systems that will protect your network from harmful intrusions.
The best way to deploy industrial firewalls – as with any other security solution – is to integrate them with providers of crucial threat intelligence, such as Cisco Talos.
Cisco Talos is the organization at the heart of Cisco Security, consisting of more than 350 researchers, engineers, developers, and even experts in linguistics in order to create a sophisticated threat analysis infrastructure.
Talos addresses five key areas of cyber security:
- Threat Intelligence & Interdiction: identification of threats and threat actors
- Detection Research: reverse engineering and proof-of-concept code development in order to better understand the nature of the breach
- Engineering & Development: ideating and creating protection tools
- Vulnerability Research & Discovery: identification and patching vulnerability gaps
- Global Outreach: conducting specialized research and monitoring for new cybercrime trends
The multiangle approach of Talos, together with a great emphasis on visibility and the advantage of collective responses, creates a comprehensive and well-polished monitoring and defense mechanism.
ATS AND CISCO: INTEGRATION OF INNOVATION AND EXPERT IMPLEMENTATION
You may have noticed that maintenance, as the third cyber security fundamental, was not discussed in more detail in this article.
That’s because while an original solution goes a long way, the support and maintenance necessary for its longevity is a different kind of work altogether. No product is perfect on its own, nor will it ever instantly fit the needs and capabilities of each company that requires it.
That’s exactly why the partnership of ATS and Cisco represents a great example of industry symbiosis – and why ATS’ services, which not only implement existing cyber security solutions, but also work on their adjustability and future upkeep, are an integral part of the chain.
Facing cyber security uncertainty, and looking for a handy resource on how best to protect your business? We’ve got you covered. Download ATS’s exclusive Cyber Security Fundamentals: Weakness Checklist
