As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to transform industries, sensor networks have become the backbone of this connected ecosystem. From industrial automation to smart cities, these networks of interconnected sensors, actuators, and control systems are revolutionizing how we interact with the physical world. However, this increased connectivity also brings a unique set of security challenges that must be addressed.
The Convergence of IT and OT: Introducing Operational Technology (OT) Security
Traditionally, Operational Technology (OT) systems, which manage and control physical processes, and Information Technology (IT) systems, which handle data and information, have been distinct and separate. However, with the rise of the Industrial IoT (IIoT), these two worlds are converging, blurring the lines between IT and OT.
This convergence has introduced new vulnerabilities, as OT systems that were once isolated are now becoming interconnected with corporate IT networks and the broader internet. Cyberattacks that were once focused solely on data theft and disruption can now potentially cause real-world, physical damage to critical infrastructure, manufacturing operations, and even human safety.
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), OT security solutions are essential for protecting these operational systems from cyber threats. These solutions secure the hardware and software that control physical processes, manage equipment, and monitor assets in industries such as manufacturing, energy, transportation, and healthcare.
Navigating the OT Security Landscape: Key Vendors and Solutions
As the demand for robust OT security grows, several vendors have emerged with specialized solutions to address the unique challenges of this domain. Let’s explore some of the top OT security providers and their offerings:
Claroty: Securing the Extended IoT (XIoT) Environment
Claroty‘s flagship platform consists of four key tools: xDome, Edge, Secure Remote Access (SRA), and Continuous Threat Detection (CTD). The platform emphasizes asset discovery as a foundation for cyber resilience, providing detailed inventories of XIoT (Extended IoT) assets to reduce operational risk. It also offers network protection, threat detection, and secure remote access to ensure operational continuity without compromising security.
Claroty’s platform helps organizations improve operational resilience by driving safety and process integrity, while also enabling informed decisions on device lifecycle management.
Darktrace: Leveraging Self-Learning AI for OT Protection
Darktrace Unified OT Protection is a cybersecurity solution that safeguards industrial environments using self-learning AI. The platform monitors the normal behavior of OT and IT-OT ecosystems as a baseline, detecting and mitigating risks in their early stages.
Darktrace’s RESPONDOT feature can take targeted actions to prevent emerging threats while maintaining compliance with operational restrictions. The solution’s deep packet inspection capabilities allow it to learn and understand the activity patterns of encrypted and proprietary OT protocols, bridging the IT-OT knowledge gap.
Darktrace’s OT security solution also maps to industry frameworks like MITRE and NIST, helping organizations adhere to compliance standards.
Dragos: Shielding Industrial Control Systems (ICS) from Advanced Threats
Dragos is a cybersecurity platform designed specifically to protect Industrial Control Systems (ICS) from advanced threats. It provides asset visibility, vulnerability management, and threat detection capabilities tailored for OT environments.
The Dragos Platform includes expert-authored playbooks that guide security teams through investigations, improving response time and efficiency. It also offers managed threat hunting and strategic alert review to maximize the platform’s deployment success and strengthen cybersecurity teams in OT environments.
Dragos’s solution enables users to understand real-world threats and enhance their cybersecurity posture across the industrial community through its collaborative asset identification, threat detection, and collective defense features.
Forescout Continuum: Comprehensive Visibility and Automation for OT, IoT, and IT
Forescout Continuum is a comprehensive solution that automates the discovery, assessment, and governance of OT, IoT, and IT assets to minimize cyber and operational risk. The platform provides complete visibility into OT networks and devices, utilizing over 30 passive and active discovery techniques.
Forescout Continuum features an extensive Industrial threat library and ICS-specific Indicator of Compromise (IOC) database, which is regularly updated to detect advanced cyberattacks, network misconfigurations, and operational errors. Its powerful reporting and analytics tools simplify compliance with key standards such as NERC CIP, EU NIS Directive, NIST CSF, and IEC 62443.
Forescout’s solution also offers flexible deployment options and seamless integration with existing network infrastructure, SIEM/SOC, asset management, and other security tools, facilitating information-sharing and automated workflows.
Fortinet Security Fabric: End-to-End Security for Converged IT-OT Ecosystems
Fortinet Security Fabric is a comprehensive solution designed to offer security for converged IT-OT ecosystems, with capabilities extended to OT networks in various industries. The solution includes industrial-grade firewalls, switches, and access points with features tailored for outdoor use, such as dual power supplies, heat sinks, and DIN rail mounting.
Fortinet’s Security Fabric offers specialized OT threat intelligence, monitoring over 70 OT protocols and 500 known vulnerability signatures, providing a robust defense against sophisticated threats. The platform’s open ecosystem approach encourages collaboration with OT Fabric-Ready Partner solutions, enhancing the adaptability and effectiveness of industrial organizations’ cybersecurity measures.
Fortinet’s Security Fabric solution is supported by a dedicated team of OT professionals, ensuring that it is tailored to the specific needs of various industries, including oil and gas, transportation, energy, power and utilities, and manufacturing.
Microsoft Defender for IoT: Securing the IoT-OT Continuum
Microsoft Defender for IoT is a solution that detects and protects OT devices, preventing vulnerabilities in various industrial infrastructures. It can be used to secure an organization’s entire IoT-OT environment, including devices that may not have built-in security features.
Defender for IoT offers real-time asset discovery, vulnerability management, and threat protection for IoT and OT systems, including Industrial Control Systems (ICS). It utilizes behavioral analytics for cyberthreat detection, enabling accelerated incident response and a unified view of the entire attack process.
Microsoft Defender for IoT caters to both IoT and OT devices, combining passive and active agentless network monitoring to obtain a complete asset inventory and context, while its risk-based vulnerability management helps improve security posture and minimize the cyberattack surface.
Nozomi Networks: Unifying OT, IoT, and Critical Infrastructure Security
Nozomi Networks is a provider of OT, IoT, and critical infrastructure visibility and security solutions. Their flagship platform consists of three integrated security tools: Vantage, Guardian, and Arc.
Vantage is a cloud management tool that unifies security monitoring and risk management across multiple assets and sites, offering asset management, vulnerability assessment, threat detection, and response capabilities. Guardian is a security sensor that passively observes local network traffic to deliver comprehensive OT and IoT asset visibility and monitoring, while Arc is an endpoint sensor for enhanced data collection and asset visibility.
Nozomi Networks’ platform provides automatic asset discovery, vulnerability assessment, advanced anomaly and threat detection, and guided remediation with built-in playbooks, designed to reduce administrative overhead and accelerate cyber incident response.
SCADAfence: Securing OT Networks with Passive and Active Monitoring
SCADAfence is a combination of passive and active network monitoring solutions, offering continuous monitoring of OT networks using deep packet inspection and providing real-time alerts on potential security breaches and anomalous events.
SCADAfence provides complete asset visibility and management, generating an accurate and detailed inventory of all devices connected to an OT network and automatically updating through passive scanning and optional active discovery. The platform also enables efficient management of potential attack vectors while calculating asset criticality based on process and safety impact.
SCADAfence’s solution offers advanced support for the MITRE ATTCK Framework, mapping events to the MITRE ATTCK for ICS model and providing a unified view of a company’s security posture, as well as suggesting mitigation steps for identified risks.
Tenable OT Security: Comprehensive Risk Management for OT Environments
Tenable OT Security is an advanced OT security solution providing in-depth asset visibility for better risk management. It effectively identifies assets within OT environments, enhances communication among IT and OT security teams, and enables them to prioritize actions based on risk.
With a comprehensive set of security tools and reports, Tenable OT Security offers high levels of visibility across both IT and OT operations. The solution features advanced threat detection capabilities, proactively identifying vulnerabilities in OT environments and providing context-rich alerts to enable rapid response and mitigation.
Tenable OT Security also offers risk-based vulnerability management, generating vulnerability and risk levels for each ICS network asset and providing detailed insights and mitigation suggestions to help personnel prioritize remediation efforts.
Waterfall Security: Unidirectional Gateways for Absolute OT Protection
Waterfall Security provides security solutions designed to protect industries and infrastructures. Waterfall’s Unidirectional Security Gateways consist of hardware and software that offer absolute protection and comprehensive network visibility for OT systems.
The hardware allows information transfer from industrial and control networks to external networks while physically preventing online cyber attacks from entering the protected network. The software connectors replicate servers and simulate devices, enabling enterprise users and applications to have bidirectional access to OT data from the duplicated servers, with all shareable data available within the replicas.
Waterfall’s Unidirectional Security Gateways deliver extensive OT connectivity and visibility while remaining resilient against cyber-attacks, defending against OT ransomware attacks by eliminating network entry points and enabling secure connections to the cloud.
Securing the Sensor Continuum: Key Considerations for OT Security
As the sensor network and IoT landscape continues to evolve, the need for comprehensive OT security solutions has never been more critical. These solutions must address the unique challenges posed by the convergence of IT and OT systems, providing end-to-end protection for the entire IoT ecosystem.
Asset visibility and inventory management are foundational elements of effective OT security, enabling organizations to understand the full scope of their operational environments and identify potential vulnerabilities. Threat detection and response capabilities are also crucial, as they allow for the rapid identification and mitigation of emerging cyber threats.
Compliance with industry-specific regulations and standards, such as NERC CIP, NIST CSF, and IEC 62443, is another critical consideration for OT security. Solutions that map to these frameworks and streamline the compliance process can help organizations mitigate legal and financial risks.
Additionally, the ability to integrate with existing IT security tools and facilitate collaboration between IT and OT teams is essential for a holistic approach to securing the sensor continuum. Automation and workflow optimization can also help reduce the administrative burden and improve the overall efficiency of OT security operations.
As the IoT and sensor network ecosystems continue to expand, the need for robust, specialized OT security solutions will only continue to grow. By investing in the right technologies and strategies, organizations can protect their critical infrastructure, maintain operational continuity, and ensure the safety of their employees and the public.
Remember, you can visit sensor-networks.org to learn more about the latest advancements in sensor network technologies and their applications.