Adapting Zero Trust Principles to Operational Technology


Zero trust (ZT) offers a modern, adaptive approach to cybersecurity by eliminating implicit trust and continuously validating access based on identity, context, and risk. ZT principles assume a breach has already occurred and are designed to limit threat actor movement and potential damage.

For operational technology (OT), applying ZT requires careful consideration because OT systems interact with the physical environment and are constrained by availability and safety requirements, as well as legacy technology with long lifespans. The blanket application of traditional information technology (IT)-focused ZT capabilities to OT is neither reasonable nor feasible and requires continuous collaboration between OT engineers, IT architects, and cybersecurity professionals. This collaboration should include clear communication channels, joint development of policies and controls, and a shared understanding of both mission objectives and technical limitations.

Read more…
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Cyber Division


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • You versus adversaries: How to become unbeatable in 20 cybersecurity moves

    December 8, 2023

    In today’s landscape, every business is inherently based on technology, increasing its susceptibility to significant and frequent threats that can hinder operations, success, and sustainability. At times, it can cause damage that is hard to bounce back from. Securing your organization, therefore, requires a deliberate, proactive, and holistic approach — you must keep constant tabs on ...

  • Why Both C-Suite Executives and Technical Experts Need to Take Memory Safe Coding Seriously

    December 6, 2023

    Memory safety vulnerabilities are the most prevalent type of disclosed software vulnerability. They are a class of well-known and common coding errors that malicious actors routinely exploit. These vulnerabilities represent a major problem for the software industry as they cause manufacturers to continually release security updates and their customers to continually patch. These vulnerabilities persist despite ...

  • Attack Surface Of The Ubiquiti Connect EV Station

    December 5, 2023

    The Ubiquiti Connect EV Station is a Level 2 charging station for electric vehicles. The EV Station is meant to be managed by a Ubiquiti management platform running the UniFi OS Console, such as the Ubiquiti Dream Machine or Cloud Gateway. Users can also use the iOS or Android UniFi Connect mobile apps to configure the EV ...

  • Protecting credentials against social engineering

    December 4, 2023

    Our story begins with a customer whose help desk unwittingly assisted a threat actor posing as a credentialed employee. In this fourth report in our ongoing Cyberattack Series, we look at the steps taken to discover, understand, and respond to a credential phishing and smishing (text-based phishing) cyberattack that targeted a legitimate, highly-privileged user with social ...

  • The Obvious, The Normal, And The Advanced: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Outlook Attack Vectors

    December 4, 2023

    Outlook, the desktop app in the Microsoft Office suite, has become one of the world’s most popular apps for organizations worldwide for sending and receiving emails, scheduling conferences, and more. From the security perspective, the app is one of the critical “gateways” responsible for introducing various cyber threats into organizations. Even a minor security problem in ...

  • NATO deepens cyber coalition with Asian partners

    December 1, 2023

    NATO countries wrapped up one their signature cybersecurity exercises in Estonia this week, welcoming South Korea and Japan to the proceedings as alliance officials seek like-minded governments to harden their collective virtual defenses. The Cyber Coalition 2023 event in the country’s capital of Tallinn focused on sharing threat intelligence and responding to attack scenarios on virtual ...