SecurityScorecard: Manufacturing security takes a step back in 2022
Manufacturing is a high risk industry when it comes to cybersecurity for several reasons, and one major factor is the outdated software often in use. Many pieces of production equipment connect to the network, and are often running several years old software that is the only version supported by the manufacturer. This is often referred to as “operational technology” or OT. It is unreasonable to replace a piece of equipment that costs several hundred thousand dollars (or more) to get a newer version of software but no benefit to production - but there are many practical ways to secure it. The most important aspect is to keep any out of date software/equipment on a securely firewalled portion of the network, with major limits on what can talk in or out of that segment.
“..the SecurityScorecard team found that the Patching Cadence factor experienced a significant drop across the year from 2021 to 2022, moving from an 88 (B) to a 76 (C).”
Robust network segmentation can help protect the most important and vulnerable part of your network - the means of production. While there may not be patches available for some OT equipment, an external scanning service such as Security Scorecard, or more importantly, hackers, cannot reach a well secured network.
Ready to secure your means of production? CGP offers a turnkey cybersecurity package that keeps you running, plus the people and expertise to solve technical problems that arise. Talk to a partner today!