Jan 30, 2024
Oil & Gas
OT Zero Trust-based Solutions for Manufacturing, Refinement, and Distribution
The interconnected array of oil and gas systems poses great risk, which means oil and gas cybersecurity truly starts from the ground up. An exploration of this infrastructure really exposes how vulnerable these systems can be. Hydrocarbons are often found in reservoirs in remote places that range from the Arctic to the ocean floor. For these reservoirs, long-distance communication channels are necessary to control and monitor drilling equipment and pipelines. Machines are being connected to the internet and networked together. Some of these devices were deployed ages ago and thus have no security capabilities. Modern devices may not be configured for optimal security. Operations networks are often not segmented. Flat networks such as these permit cyber criminals to find one vulnerability where they can exploit, not only oil and gas production, but also launch cascading attacks that spill over to threaten systems in other critical infrastructure sectors.
Oil and Gas Cybersecurity Threats
In the domain of oil and gas cybersecurity, a troubling pattern is emerging. These systems have become popular targets for ransomware. The infamous Stuxnet worm has spawned a variety of similar assaults targeting operations. Ransomware has already taken down oil and gas producers in the Middle East, USA, and Eastern Europe. Malware generally sneaks into IT networks through phishing emails or accounting software, but professional cyber criminals aim to tunnel from IT to OT. To prevent this, networks need to be segmented and only traffic that is deemed trustworthy should flow between segments.
Circumstances change quickly over the shifting landscape of oil and gas production. The IT notion of security checks on every task would jam long-distance communications and slow down refinery operations. With OT Zero Trust appliances, your machines only receive trustworthy control commands because these are the only messages that EdgeFire and EdgeIPS will pass forward. EdgeFire firewall segments critical equipment into work cells so that work continues no matter what is happening in other areas of the network. By safeguarding these microsegments, OT assets avoid the fallout from employees accidentally clicking on phish-bait or other IT problems. EdgeIPS evaluate network traffic based on a deep understanding of OT Native protocols. Only trustworthy traffic may enter or exit a network segment.
To combat ransomware, EdgeFire and EdgeIPS are being used to segment networks so that a single attack cannot infect the entire oil and gas production facility or shut down the pipeline in one fell swoop. Trust lists are analyzing what’s happening right now and making informed decisions based on oil and gas production goals plus risk acceptance thresholds. Portable Inspector is being used to wipe out supply chain malware and extend the useful life of legacy assets. Stellar is continually reinforcing OT-native cybersecurity protections via virtual patches and machine learning threat intelligence.
Oil and gas fuel more than half our global energy needs at a time when producers are facing unprecedented dangers and intimidation tactics. Organized cyber criminals are weaponizing ransomware to take down oil and gas operations for handsome ransoms. World regulators are clamoring for cyber-defense systems capable of stopping these advanced persistent threats. Stop cyber attacks and comply with new regulations by adopting the award-winning OT Zero Trust protections to bring defense-in-depth that reinforces OT-Native oil and gas cybersecurity. EdgeFire and EdgeIPS segment equipment into work cells. Along with Stellar, they work together to inspect every situation as it happens, continually locking down incoming and outgoing messages to make sure that only trustworthy commands ever reach critical oil and gas production equipment.
NEVER TRUST, ALWAYS VERIFY
Deploy network segmentation to protect your ICS
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