FINAL WORD executing solution strategy to secure OT cloud environments , security teams must be able to address the following challenges :
• Broad attack surface : Amid the convergence of Information Technology ( IT ) and OT networks , as well as increased cloud adoption , the attack surface continues to broaden exponentially .
• Cloud misconfigurations : Building on the broadened attack surface , misconfigured cloudbased resources leave critical OT environments at risk . Malicious actors targeting a misconfiguration when moving laterally within the OT infrastructure can wreak havoc .
• Legacy IT : Moving legacy hardware and software , which are often decades old , to the cloud means potentially introducing a range of vulnerabilities to the infrastructure . This presents cybercriminals with an opportunity to leverage historical tradecraft to gain access and perform reconnaissance before employing more sophisticated techniques once they have achieved their target .
Establishing a robust cloud security plan
Proactively protecting ICS is a crucial aspect of successfully mitigating risks in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era . Amid the digitization of operations , organizations must be able to protect data as it moves back and forth between OT and IT infrastructures . They should weave cybersecurity into their initial plans as new hybrid infrastructures are built and implement centralized network security across the IT and OT environments with a network operations center ( NOC ), as well as all applications and platforms within the network .
An integrated security architecture minimizes threat detection and response times while also enabling automated incident response .
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