Recent cyberattacks on critical infrastructure demonstrate how hackers can take advantage of industrial control systems. Organizations that adopt the latest vulnerability management best practices will be best prepared to reduce risk and mitigate possible damage.
Recent reports of cyberattacks in the energy and power sector highlight how interconnected industrial control systems (ICS) are increasingly susceptible to malicious activities. Targeted and opportunistic attacks threaten to significantly disrupt or, even worse, shut down these essential services. Utilities relying on operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems to support their critical infrastructure must implement and/or enhance proactive cybersecurity protective measures, or risk remaining vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated security attacks and threats.
The power sector operates under the looming shadow of an ever-evolving threat landscape, with implications to halt virtually every aspect of life for civilians and governments alike. Sophisticated malware and backdoor attacks on the power grid are becoming more prevalent in the era of widespread digital transformation, which has enabled electricity providers to improve energy production by as much as 10% and can save the power industry $80 billion per year (or 5% of total annual power generating costs).
With all of the positive results that come with digitization, cyber risk becomes a byproduct. One in 10 (10.7%) of all cyberattacks worldwide in 2022 targeted energy organizations, making it the fourth most attacked industry. In North America, 20% of all cyberattacks were in the energy sector, making it the most attacked Industry in the region in 2023. As electricity providers' profit centers progressively rely on digitization, managing cyber risk is imperative — and it’s easier said than done. Many electricity providers struggle to know exactly where the risk is because their environment is a mix of modern and legacy equipment. To mitigate the risk of a cyberattack disrupting their bulk electric systems (BES) / bulk power systems (BPS), energy companies need to prioritize cybersecurity alongside their digital transformation.
Interconnected systems within utilities pose a profound risk of creating cascading cybersecurity incidents when attacked, leading to potentially severe security breaches and significant damage. The convergence of legacy systems with newer architectures creates a web of vulnerabilities within utility infrastructures susceptible to malware and cyberattacks. Even seemingly secure air-gapped networks, once breached, become conduits for infiltrating critical control systems. For instance, a breach in the administrative network could cascade into the operational network, potentially compromising control systems responsible for managing generation, transmission, and distribution, thus disrupting downstream service reliability.
The sprawling and intricate nature of these systems, coupled with their interdependencies, poses a formidable challenge for assessing and remediating vulnerabilities. Imagine a scenario where an attacker gains access to substation controllers: the potential repercussions extend far beyond local disruptions, potentially impacting regional or even national grids, thereby highlighting the importance of proactive approaches to security.
Amidst these challenges, a proactive and comprehensive cybersecurity approach emerges as a fundamental requirement. Regular vulnerability assessments and continuous surveillance of ICS systems are essential tactics for the power sector. Security professionals must take a holistic approach to identify vulnerabilities and employ purpose-built software to defend against cyber incidents.
Power companies need a security solution that combines asset visibility, vulnerability management and threat detection to combat rising challenges. It is essential to maintain full visibility into all operational assets including intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), remote terminal units (RTUs), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), breakers, meters, drivers and other devices.
Tenable’s market-leading OT security solution is purposely designed to help power companies safeguard their critical infrastructure. With Tenable’s unmatched cybersecurity expertise, OT experience and customer support, energy companies can effectively protect their OT against escalating cyberthreats that jeopardize utility operations and reliability.
Tenable OT Security is designed to help enterprises maximize existing technology investments. Native integrations into the most broadly used enterprise applications enable users to manage their entire attack surface and leverage existing workflows through the user interface of their choice. Other OT security tools lock users into using their user interface to run reports and manage OT security, so you’re constantly switching between different screens. Tenable OT Security also integrates with other Tenable products, including Tenable Security Center, Tenable Vulnerability Management, Tenable Lumin and Tenable One, empowering users with a streamlined solution for all of their exposure management needs.
By gaining complete visibility into critical assets and strategically prioritizing vulnerability management, power companies can allocate resources effectively to fortify their cybersecurity posture. This proactive stance ensures the safe and resilient operation of their smart grids amidst the ever-evolving threat landscape, safeguarding essential services for communities and industries alike. For more information, and guidance on how to tackle the OT security challenge for energy utilities, check out the featured resources linked below.
Marty Edwards, Deputy CTO for OT and IoT, Tenable: Marty Edwards is a globally recognized Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control System (ICS) cybersecurity expert who collaborates with industry, government and academia to raise awareness of the growing security risks impacting critical infrastructure and the need to take steps to mitigate them. As Deputy CTO for OT/IoT at Tenable, Edwards works with government and industry leaders throughout the world to broaden understanding and implementation of people, process and technology solutions to reduce their overall cyber risk in order to inform Tenable’s overall strategy. Edwards organized and currently leads Tenable’s role in the OT Cybersecurity Coalition, a group that works collaboratively with industry and government stakeholders, advocating for vendor-neutral, interoperable, and standards-based cybersecurity solutions to enhance the nation’s collective defense. In 2022, Edwards served as one of the working group leads for the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) report to the President on IT/OT Convergence. Prior to joining Tenable in 2019, Edwards—a 30-year industry veteran—served as the Global Director of Education at the International Society of Automation (ISA). While at ISA, he was recognized by his industry peers with the SANS ICS 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award. Prior to ISA, Edwards was the longest-serving Director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) and is a past co-chair of the DHS Control Systems Working Group. Edwards also served as a program manager focused on control systems security at the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and has held a variety of roles in the instrumentation and automation fields. Edwards holds a diploma of technology in Process Control and Industrial Automation (Magna cum Laude) from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), and in 2015 received the institute’s Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2016, Edwards was recognized by FCW in its “Federal 100 Awards” as being one of the top IT professionals in the U.S. federal government.
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