Cybersecurity for the Industrial Sector

Whether you are an energy company, an oil and gas distributer, a water management organization, a chemical plant or a railway operator: your critical processes are probably managed through operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) systems. The increased connectivity between these systems, for instance through smart meters, smart grid, and industry 4.0, mean increased vulnerabilities. All these systems and sensors need to be protected in order to control them properly.

At the same time, attackers are increasingly targeting the industrial sector, focusing on the OT systems that control critical infrastructure. Recent incidents include the 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, which disrupted U.S. fuel supplies, and the 2022 attack on Germany’s wind energy infrastructure, disrupting communications for thousands of turbines. These attacks demonstrate the growing risks to OT systems, where disruptions can have serious impacts on safety and national security.

Regulators around the world are recognizing the need to better protect this sector from digital harm. This means that the sector is facing more cybersecurity regulation.

• In the EU, the NIS2-Directive aims at strengthening the cyber resilience of vital industries.
• In the USA several guidelines and standards in the domain of OT and ICS SCADA have been released by NIST, NERC and DHS, to strengthen the sector's defenses.

A large cyber attack can start with one of your employees clicking on a malicious link. That is why raising the cybersecurity awareness of you staff, and making sure they behave securely is crucial. We offer the comprehensive SAFE Behavior Program for your employees.

Having the correct processes in place can make all the difference to your cybersecurity. Our OT experts can fully assess these, for instance through an OT Site Assessment. We can also help you with your NIS2 compliance, for example with a NIS2 Gap Assessment, Boardroom Training, and NIS2 Implementation Support. We can also help you improve your operational resilience with our Crisis and Resilience Services. We can also help you with your Incident Response.

Industrial OT systems are complex. We can help you test them for vulnerabilities, through our specialized OT Vulnerability Assessments and Penetration Testing. We can also assess the cyber resilience of your systems as a whole, through specialized OT Red Teaming.