The 2023 State of Operational Technology (OT) and Cybersecurity Survey Report by Fortinet has recently been published, providing a comprehensive view of the current OT and cyber security landscape.
Results of the Fortinet annual OT survey show that whilst OT organisations have significantly enhanced their cyber security posture, further improvement continues to be needed.
Key takeaways from the survey include:
- OT continues to be a key target: 80% of OT organisations reported at least one intrusion in 2022, with malware (56%) and phishing (49%) the most common type of incidents reported,followed by ransomware attacks (32%).
- An increased realisation that OT cyber security strategies are not mature: An increasing number of organisations are realising that their organisation’s OT security posture isn’t “highly mature”, only 13% thought of respondents felt it was, down from 21% in the previous year.
- OT landscapes are continuing to expand: nearly 80% of respondents reported having greater than 100 IP-enabled OT devices in their OT environment.
- Solution sprawl increases difficulties: many reported that solution sprawl makes it more difficult to consistently incorporate, employ, and enforce policies across an increasingly converged IT/OT landscape.
- Ageing systems bring extra complexities: the majority of organisations report that the average age of ICS systems across their organisation is between six and 10 years old, bringing extra cyber challenges.
The good news is that OT organisations are prioritising cyber security. Nearly every organisation reported that they plan to place the responsibility for OT cyber security under a chief information security officer (CISO) in the next 12 months.
Whilst this is a positive step, indicating that OT cyber security has the attention of senior leadership teams, a global skills shortage will bring further challenges.
CISO’S and cyber team members with OT expertise and experience are highly sought after, organisations will need to work creatively to secure talent.
Outsourcing to external Cyber Consultants, Virtual CISO’s and Managed Service Providers (MSPs), are all viable solutions for those organisations needing to strengthen their IT/OT cyber strategy.
At Infosec Partners our team of cyber experts possess both the expertise and experience to develop powerful cohesive OT cyber security solutions. As a full spectrum MSSP we provide Cyber Consultancy, Virtual CISOs and Managed Security Services, enabling businesses to operate efficiently, safely and securely.
We understand the complexities of OT cyber security and the importance of utilising advanced solutions designed for OT environments. That’s why we leverage the Fortinet range of market leading security products to develop powerful cohesive cyber security solutions for organisations embracing IoT opportunities.
We are recognised globally as the first expert partner certified by Fortinet in securing OT environments, demonstrating our advanced skills and ability to design, deploy, administer and troubleshoot OT cyber security solutions.
Don’t let the evolving threat landscape leave your organisation vulnerable. Get in touch with us today to discuss how we can assist you in safeguarding your OT environment and embracing the opportunities offered by IoT. Together, we can build a resilient and secure future for your organisation.
