Machines building a car

Cyber Security OT

Enhance your Operational Security and reduce risks with tailored OT Security solutions

With methods and tools for information and cyber security, continuity and disaster recovery planning, we secure your production, assets and facilities. We combine our industrial cyber security competence and services to tailor solutions to your specific challenges and needs.

The interplay between OT and IT, increased use of new technology, and the ongoing digitisation have entailed new threats and risks. This has led to increased awareness, new standards and new regulations. By using expertise, methods, and tools adapted for information security, cyber security, continuity planning and disaster recovery planning, we help our customers secure their productions, but also their assets and facilities.

A secure OT environment is essential for achieving sustainable digitalisation

Digital solutions have become an integral part of every aspect of operations in all organisations. To be able to harvest full benefits and sustainably grow the potential of digital solutions, they need to be integrated with each other in a secured environment, in ways that enable a reliable flow of information and the trustworthy process automation. A major priority must be a securely composed cyber-physical posture that focuses on the unique real life challenges of industrial operations to enable further business growth on a wide scale.

As the cyber security landscape is evolving rapidly, the right protection against potential cyber attacks requires rapid monitoring and response. One of the most important aspects when it comes to cyber security incidents is the time that goes before an incident is remediated. The longer time between the incident occurring and the detection and response, the greater the damage and expenses to the organisation.

Infra-Buildings, electrical engineering, security, communication

Comprehensive security solutions with expert industry insights

Whatever independent advice and support that you may require, our expertise and extensive experience in establishing safe, secure, and reliable architectures and solutions, allows us to support you in all levels of the organisation and at all points in the life cycle of your operations, be it a legacy environment or a green field. AFRY is uniquely positioned to provide world-class domain knowledge related to your field of operations combined with market-leading expertise in OT Security.

You will be supported with our tight internal cooperation of expert advisors that provide aggregated best-practice experience from your own industry as well as guidance from other industries. Our teams combine cyber-physical security expertise with market-leading knowledge in operational, cyber security, environmental, and commercial aspects to ensure all security initiatives are designed and implemented in a way that is fully aligned with the goals and strategies of your operation.

A man giving helpful advice in a meeting

Elevate your cyber security with AFRY's expertise

We understand that modern security operations should address the needs of a stable operation environment while facing the fast-moving challenges of the surrounding world.

It is vital to strike a balance between protective security controls and flexible abilities for incident response and recovery. We are proud to support you in your role on the path towards safe, secure, and reliable operations.

AFRY’s Operational Technology (OT) Security specialists focus on guiding and advising industrial, infrastructure, energy, and other sectors with cyber-physical security where the digital meets the real world.

AFRY is an independent advisor on how to best protect your organisation from cyber threats. Our expertise and extensive experience in establishing safe, secure, and reliable solutions, allows us to support you in all levels of the organisation and at all points in the life cycle of your operations.

We are uniquely positioned to provide world-class domain knowledge related to your field of operations and provide market leading expertise in industrial cyber security. You will work closely with our independent expert advisors that provide best-practice experience from your own industry as well as inspiration from other industries.

We combine our cyber security expertise with market-leading knowledge in operational, environmental, and commercial aspect to ensure all security initiatives are designed and implemented in a way that is fully aligned with the goals and strategies of your operation.

Giving Advice

We help our customers to:

  • Perform security assessments of sites and organisations including the cyber-physical security and factors that influence the sites causing harm or loss.
     
  • Design a secure OT architecture with defence-in-depth using a security classification model.
     
  • Advise how to build a secure and safe site with digitalisation with security-by-design, regardless of if it is a legacy site or a greenfield, including monitoring and detection of the entire chain and content.
     
  • Convert new regulations and legislation on OT security into suitable internal policies and processes.
     
  • Establish the right responsibilities and roles within the organisational structure and provide education.
     
  • Conduct OT cyber crisis tabletop exercises to improve the security readiness and cooperation.
     
  • Guide, advise, and coach on OT security strategy and planning.
     
  • Assess and evaluate third-party/vendor solutions and implementations.
     
  • Elevate corporate OT security culture and mindset.
     
  • Unite forces with different domain knowledge of AFRY to comprehensively approach each customer’s needs in minimising the risks at any aspect of operations.  

OT and Operational Security Q&A

What is Operational Technology (OT)? Arrow pointing right

OT is the hardware and software intended to monitor and implement changes in physical processes. This is done through monitoring and control of physical equipment such as valves, pumps and motors. Simply put, OT is the use of computers to monitor and change the physical state of a system. OT includes PLC, SCADA, DCS and the network binding all different devices together.

 

What are the possibilities, threats and risk with OT? Arrow pointing right

The ongoing digitalisation has led to OT and IT getting closer to each other, which has created opportunities to meet old needs in new ways. For example, processes can be streamlined, costs reduced and resources utilised better.

The development has brought some new challenges and risks. Attacks such as Stuxnet, BlackEnergy and NotPetya have shown the effect and possibilities of cyber warfare. This has led to several state’s acquired knowledge of both offensive and defensive methods. Another group that has embraced the possibilities of cyber technology are criminals. Criminal groups that previously focused on physical crime have increasingly chosen to focus on cybercrime instead.

What methods can be used to achieve a secure OT environment? Arrow pointing right

One central method is information security analysis regarding a facility's OT. The analysis builds a “map” of the facility’s OT and the content, handling and significance of its information. The analysis leads to the implementation of cyber security at the right levels and to the proper extent, and to that continuity plans and disaster response plans can be developed.

Well-planned protection is based on many methods, of which the most important are:

Information security: Measures to prevent information is leaked, distorted or destroyed, and ensures that information is available when needed.

Cyber security: The protection of OT from theft or damage to its hardware, software, data and protection against disruptions/errors in OT’s services.

Continuity planning: Planning of how a plant and its processes should be able to continue to produce with
sufficient capacity and quality if it is exposed to disturbances and how to return to a normal state in a controlled manner.

Disaster recovery planning: Methods, tools and routines for restoring OT after a natural or man-made disaster.

Countermeasures

Digitisation, interconnected systems and just-in-time production have put the focus on the need to ensure that information always is confidential, accessible, accurate and traceable. Deficiencies in the above can quickly lead to problems and costs. In order to support threat and risk management, several methods have been developed. Within the EU, this has led to the formation of ENISA and the development of the NIS Directive. In Sweden, we have implemented the Security Protection Act 2018: 585, and a national CERT.

Continuous process

Working with information security and cybersecurity is an ongoing process that includes the phases; Identify, Protect, Detect, React and Retrieve. AFRY’s model includes methods, tools and routines, which are based on standards such as ISA / IEC 62443 and ISO 27000, and covers all phases above.

Filip Enander - Business Unit Manager Cyber Security
Filip Enander
Business Unit Manager Cyber Security

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