[ cover story ] undermines competitive advantages , ransomware extortion can lead to significant financial losses . Moreover , customer trust and market position are profoundly affected by reputational damage .
cybersecurity measures during the transition . The absence of standardized plant designs and a coherent security approach makes these plants particularly vulnerable to cyber threats .
Focus : risks in process plants
The vulnerability of hydrogen production plants and other industrial facilities stems from the increasingly tight integration of Operational Technology ( OT ) and IT systems , lifting the previous shielding of OT environments against cyberattacks . This fusion effectively removes previous physical and logical barriers . The challenge of applying conventional IT security measures to these environments is multifaceted . Firstly , many industrial control systems run on outdated legacy software and operating systems , hence not necessarily compatible with the latest security solutions . Furthermore , implementing security protocols requiring system restarts or significant changes can interrupt ongoing production processes , posing a significant operational risk . Additionally , the unique characteristics of these industrial systems often lead standard IT security updates to contribute to system instability . Tailored solutions are required to protect these systems from threats , whose development and implementation can be time-consuming and costly . This complex web of challenges underscores the need for a differentiated approach to cybersecurity in the process industry , especially in hydrogen production plants .
Setting security priorities : IT vs . OT perspective
The distinction between IT and OT concerning cybersecurity is primarily defined by their different protection objectives . Regarding OT , especially in production environments , the primary focus is on maintaining plant availability and ensuring that operations are not disrupted by cyberattacks . The second priority level focuses on data integrity – protecting against unauthorized alterations or manipulations due to attacks . Data privacy remains important but is considered tertiary , with the protection of sensitive information and intellectual property taking precedence . In contrast , priorities in IT cybersecurity are reversed : data privacy comes first , followed by data integrity , and finally system availability . This reversal of priorities between IT and OT systems presents a complex challenge for developing a balanced security strategy that meets the specific requirements and risks of each area .
Risk minimization : a holistic approach
A tailored cybersecurity approach is needed now , not in the future . This approach should consider the unique operational and technological landscape of
These face particular challenges due to their high degree of modularity . The production process consists of a multitude of units that must communicate seamlessly with each other . Unlike conventional production plants or power plants with standardized layouts and common security protocols , hydrogen plants often lack a unified security layout . Many of these plants are scaled up from pilot projects or laboratory environments , inadvertently neglecting basic
Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 16 | June 2024 11