The energy sector is facing growing cyber threats to critical infrastructure, including oil and gas pipelines. Despite the dangers, cybersecurity in operational technology (OT) continues to lag behind IT security. This is due to OT systems being managed by engineers who prioritise safety and uptime over cybersecurity and the historical lack of connectivity of OT systems.
With the digitalisation of the energy sector and the use of connected systems, more attack vectors have been created for hackers. To combat these threats, OT system operators should prioritise network visibility, network modelling, and continuous network monitoring. The operators should also have tools to quickly identify and assess cyber threats, simulate breaches and attacks, and create an ROI-optimised OT security plan.
OT cybersecurity must be a top priority to prevent devastating attacks and ensure the safe operation of critical infrastructure.
