The Cybersecurity Threat Lurking in Your Operational Efficiency Efforts: Remote Access Vulnerabilities

Summary

The ability to log in remotely to machines on the plant floor saves manufacturers valuable time and money. Instead of costly downtime which requires halting the manufacturing processes while waiting on engineers to arrive via plane, train or automobile to fix the issue, remote access coupled with augmented reality innovations, can eliminate the need to have an engineer onsite. Instead, these individuals can evaluate the issue from anywhere in the world to quickly and cost effectively speed the troubleshooting process. This capability also helps to ease the skilled labor gap so many industrial manufacturers are contending with, maximizing the time of the engineers they do have available.

However, this level of connectivity and operational efficiency comes with risk. According to findings from the 2024 Cyber Threat Intelligence Report, manufacturing is the industry most often targeted by malicious actors. And any system that is connected to the Internet is vulnerable to a cybersecurity attack or system breach. But foregoing technology-enabled solutions and the ability to drastically improve operational efficiency on the plant floor via is not an option. Afterall, downtime costs manufacturers money, as much as $50 billion annually according to research by Industry EMEA.

So how can manufacturers keep their operational systems running efficiently and ensure they are as secure as possible? Here are four best practices manufacturing firms can follow to capitalize on the benefits of remote access without exposing their company to costly cyber risk.

1. Take inventory of the OT network and other tech assets

Before deploying a remote access solution, it is critical to first understand the existing technical assets and Operational Technology (OT) network environment as this forms the basis for effective security measures. You simply cannot protect what you are unaware of! This knowledge provides the insight needed to identify vulnerabilities, prioritize patching, implement appropriate access controls and respond rapidly to potential threats. All of which are essential for maintaining operational stability in critical industrial environments.

A cybersecurity audit is a great place to uncover this information and identify potential vulnerabilities. This detailed assessment can help establish current network and security posture and outline what policies and procedures need to be in place before moving forward with remote access. This includes a review of which people–employees, contractors and integrators–have access to your network.

This level of detail is increasingly relevant as many businesses cannot or will not conduct business with an organization unless certain security, privacy and compliance requirements are met. For instance, if your firm contracts with the federal or state government there may be certain security controls that are required. Is your data encrypted with dual or multifactor authentication? Are your company laptops talking to the outside world all the time? Is sensitive information encrypted or is it putting your firm and your customers at risk?

Once you have a good understanding of your firm’s environment and what assets need to be safeguarded, you can establish policies and procedures to safeguard the OT network before deployment of critical remote access and augmented realty solutions.

2. Ditch your VPN and employ controls

Operational Technology networks (OT) are vulnerable to issues like weak authentication, outdated software, insecure remote access, lack of asset visibility, unpatched vulnerabilities, human error, malware infiltration and improper access controls, which can all be exploited by attackers to disrupt critical industrial processes.

VPNs in particular can represent a significant risk to operational technology (OT) networks due to their potential to grant extensive access to critical systems. When implemented without appropriate security measures, VPNs can open the door for unauthorized access, allowing malicious actors to infiltrate the entire network, including sensitive OT infrastructure. This vulnerability exists primarily because attackers can exploit weaknesses within the VPN itself or obtain user credentials, providing them with a gateway to industrial processes that are crucial for daily operations. Given many OT systems utilize older protocols that are inherently more susceptible to cyber threats, unauthorized access can lead to severe consequences, including operational disruptions and physical damage to equipment. Without stringent security controls and vigilant monitoring, organizations risk compromising their entire operational framework.

Instead of VPNs, leverage a platform designed for OT networks that allows remote access to a controlled environment. Consider a solution that includes a virtual server environment that has both the resources and tools that an engineer may need to access the network–without having to dial in to a VPN. A virtual network enables the engineer to safely connect without allowing access from an outside, untrusted network. Plus, they help consolidate hardware infrastructure, leading to cost savings; improve flexibility and scalability by allowing for the easy creation and migration of virtual machines (VMs); and management is simplified through centralized tools.

3. Deploy continuous monitoring for network health

Unfortunately, when it comes to securing the network, manufacturers cannot adopt a “set it and forget it” policy. The health of the OT network depends on continuous monitoring as cybercriminals are nothing if not persistent. Therefore, without stringent security controls and vigilant monitoring, organizations risk compromising their entire operational framework.

Continuous Threat Detection (CTD) is a cybersecurity system that continuously monitors a network or system for potential threats. It uses advanced analytics to identify suspicious activity in real-time, enabling early detection and response to emerging security risks. This technology is particularly valuable in industrial control systems (ICS) environments and CTD software specifically designed for OT networks provides comprehensive visibility into industrial networks, enabling the detection of both cyberattacks and operational anomalies that Traditional IT monitoring solutions aren’t set up to accomplish.

The system controls also help to keep track of who is logging in, generate alerts when changes are made and provide the capability to end a remote session if activity isn’t allowed. Together along with managed switches and software tools that give visibility into network health, manufacturing firms can build in continuous monitoring and threat detection capabilities and processes to continuously improve and safeguard their OT and IT systems.

4. Bring down the wall between OT and IT

Multiple studies have shown than human error results in nearly 88% of cybersecurity breeches. In the manufacturing environment, the pressure to avoid downtime can be so extreme that engineers will develop workarounds to do whatever they can to keep machines up and running. In the end that is putting your entire business at risk.

It's an all-too-common scenario when the OT team lacks IT support and are left to manage the network independently. Things may be fine until a cybersecurity breech occurs. In that instance the IT team may completely cut off connectivity to the OT network, as they work to prevent further damage. But this kind of stopgap disrupts crucial data collection processes and significantly hinders product production. To meet production demands, OT decides to problem solve and may resort to finding connectivity through a cellular hotspot to the network, allowing cloud connections and enabling multiple users to access the network remotely. This creates an uncontrolled environment and exposes the company to a whole new set of security threats, further elevating the potential for business disruption.

Prevent the need for OT to resort to workarounds by building a strong relationship between IT and OT from the get-go. Work with partners who understand the needs of both departments and can help build process and reinforce the importance of following protocols to help mitigate issues quickly and collaboratively.

Bad actors are looking for easy targets. As manufacturing firms move to embrace technologies such as remote access to enhance outputs and glean operational efficiencies, existing systems with outdated protocols often unknowingly roll out the red carpet for cybercriminals. By taking stock of OT network assets, employing virtual environments with continuous monitoring, and working to engage both IT and OT teams to safeguard the plant, industrial manufacturers can keep their operational systems running efficiently and ensure they are as secure as possible.