Control System Cyber Security

Cyber security for Information Technology (IT)/Operational Technology (OT) is about the protection of Internet protocol (IP) networks from cyber attacks. Control system cyber security is about protecting physical processes from unintentional incidents and malicious attacks.

Technologically, control system cyber security is different than IT cyber security because of the control system devices and their low-level communication protocols. Yet IT and OT cyber security policy has been developed by the network security organization with minimal participation from the engineering organizations that “own” the hardware and control systems.

Control system cyber security is real—there have been more than 1,250 actual incidents identified to date. But there currently is widespread lack of appropriate control system cyber forensics and cyber security training. With the availability of IT cyber security hardware, testing, and training, IT systems continue to be compromised, and control system cyber security is arguably 5-10 years behind IT.