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Modern day industrial operations often span complex IT ( information technology ) and OT ( operational technology ) infrastructures . In a very standard environment , thousands of devices exist and are increasingly being connected via the Industrial Internet of Things ( IIoT ). This creates new challenges in securing industrial environments specifically by making cybersecurity threats even more difficult to detect , investigate and remediate .

What has made this an even more challenging endeavor is that IT and OT have typically inhabited different parts of the organization ; and with good reason . Up until only recently the IT infrastructure played front and center in terms of ensuring complete visibility , security and control mostly because this was where organizations were being attacked . For the better part of two decades these were the things that kept the CISO up at night ; but the reality has changed .

With our increasingly interconnected world , OT has quickly caught up as a lightning rod for new attacks and increased security concern .

Ground Zero

The focal point for attacks on industrial operations and critical infrastructure has centered on Industrial Controllers . Depending on the type of industry , this may be referred to as PLCs , RTUs or DCSs . What really matters is that these controllers are extremely reliable and literally control everything from cooling stations to turbines , electrical grids , oil and gas and much more . Industrial Control Systems ( ICS ) literally keep the lights on . Because of their reliability , many of these devices have been in place for years . They are the workhorses of today ’ s modern society and therein is why they are ground zero for attacks .

When industrial controllers were first deployed , they were not connected and interconnected .

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