Cybersecurity is a business concern that has been recognized as a problem in organizations for years, and yet the responsibility still lies primarily and erroneously with IT professionals.

Businesses – and not just those in critical infrastructure – have become far more vulnerable to cyber threats because digital information and technology are now heavily integrated into daily operations. But the attacks themselves, targeting both information and critical infrastructure, are also becoming more sophisticated. Cyber risk incidents can have operational, financial, reputational and strategic consequences for any organization, all at significant cost.

Many organizations already face a number of lurking security vulnerabilities, but now it’s especially important to rely on protection plans that are tailored to your business and how you can prepare for future attacks.

• You need to prioritize cybersecurity planning.
• Focus on what you can control.
• Make sure your incident response plans are up to date.
• Don’t be afraid: Increase awareness and vigilance to identify and prevent potential new threats.

What does security risk assessment mean in critical infrastructure?

Not only is critical infrastructure vital, but its parts are interdependent, and a cyberattack on one of these segments can have a direct impact on others. Attackers are increasingly choosing to attack cyber-physical systems (CPS). ALPHA needs to develop a holistic, coordinated CPS security strategy, incorporating new critical infrastructure security policies into governance. At the heart of the problem is that traditional network-centric, point-in-time security tools are no longer sufficient to capture the speed and complexity. This is especially true as the operational technology (OT) that connects, monitors, and secures industrial operations and machines becomes increasingly connected to the technology that processes the enterprise’s information technology (IT).

Work with ALPHA to conduct a complete inventory of the OT/Internet of Things (IoT) security solutions being deployed in your organization. Also conduct an assessment of standalone or multi-functional platform-based security options to further improve CPS convergence.

What are the options for fending off attacks?

ALPHA advises you holistically on a range of tools and implementations and compiles a catalog of technical feasibility with you. In our opinion, the human factor is the biggest vulnerability, but there are other tools to improve your security:

Data security
These are processes and associated tools that protect sensitive data in transit or when assets are at standby.

Application security
It protects data or code in industrial applications.

Network and perimeter security
A network perimeter is the boundary between a company’s intranet and the external or public Internet. If there are vulnerabilities, there is a risk that attackers can quickly use the Internet to attack associated resources.

Endpoint security
Endpoints are devices connected to the network, such as laptops, cell phones, and servers, and these must be protected by an endpoint security policy.

Identity and access management
It enables the right people to access the right resources assigned to the right reference group.

Zero-trust architecture
It eliminates unrestricted trust and replaces it with adaptive, qualitative trust tailored to the employee.

Supply chain security
Controls are established for suppliers and barriers are built against third-party attacks.