N. K. Mehta’s Post

OT Security – Three things to know Operational technology (OT) security is the protection of the physical and electronic components of industrial systems, networks, and applications from malicious attacks and exploitation. In particular, OT cybersecurity focuses on hardware, software, industry devices, physical infrastructure, and people. Gartner defines OT as “hardware and software that detects or causes a change, through direct monitoring and/or control of industrial equipment, assets, processes, and events”. OT security includes practices and technologies used to protect them, but these practices and technologies are now evolving into distinct categories to address the growing threats, security practices, and vendor dynamics. OT security is particularly important for critical infrastructure entities, especially those relying on industrial control systems. IT and OT integration and OT cloud enablement are on the rise, thus there is a need for OT security to evolve in the same direction. Thus, OT security in the cloud environment presents several risks. To remain resilient against threats, it is essential that entities and organisations adequately secure their OT systems. Securing OT systems can be achieved by undergoing regular asset management protocols, ensuring adequate network segmentation and isolation, and by employing threat prevention and detection technologies. 3 things you need to know! 1. The current threat landscape for OT shows that attacks are on the rise. Fortinet reports that nearly one-third of OT organisations reported more than six intrusions over the last year, up from 11% in 2023. At the same time, network visibility and detection remain a challenge. Only 5% of the respondents claimed that they had visibility of OT systems in their security operations centre in 2024, which is a dip from 10% previously. Furthermore, operational technology is often tailored and is often isolated from the Internet, thus moving OT systems to the cloud can impact reliability, performance, and security – increased risks. 2. How is OT security different from IT? IT systems are designed around confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA). However, as stated by NIST 800-82, OT environments are more mission-critical, the objectives in that environment follow the priority of availability and integrity, then confidentiality. 3. NIST provides a comprehensive guide to OT security for organisations on how to increase security for OT systems and addresses the challenges of OT environments. It covers areas such as risk management for OT systems, OT cybersecurity architecture, and how to apply their cybersecurity framework for OT. White Label Consultancy has extensive experience supporting organisations with cyber security advisory and leadership. Reach out or schedule a call to learn more about our service offerings and how we support your organisation. #securityleadership #cybersecurity #threatlandscape #risklandscape #OTsecurity

SANS Five ICS Cybersecurity Critical Controls 1. OT Incident Response Thanks to the increase in ICS/OT-specific detection, we have gotten faster at detecting cyber incidents in our industrial environments, moving from an average of “days” in 2019 to “hours” in 2024. Unfortunately, after detection, our industry is still lacking on ICS/OT-specific incident response, with only 56% of respondents having one. 2. Defensible Architecture Our number one priority in creating a defensible architecture is still network protections, including boundary security measures, which makes sense, considering the number one attack vector into our ICS/OT networks is still pivoting from the enterprise IT network. 3. ICS Network Monitoring Only 12% of respondents had “extensive” ICS/OT network monitoring capabilities. This was the number one indicator for how quickly an ICS/OT cyber incident was detected. Beyond ICS network monitoring, 70% of respondents use some sort of detection in their industrial facilities, even if visibility is limited. Only a small portion of respondents, however, have a Security Operations Center (SOC) with ICS/OT capabilities (31%). 4. Secure Remote Access Thankfully, multifactor authentication (MFA) has become the norm for remote access into ICS/OT networks, with 75% of respondents leveraging the technology. Basic capabilities like logging and access verification are still absent for many practitioners. 5. Risk-Based Vulnerability Management Like the use of MFA, performing annual ICS/OT-specific cybersecurity assessments can now be considered “table stakes” for industrial facilities. Historically, 70-75% of respondents have performed such annual assessments since 2019. Unfortunately, most of these assessments are paper-based and very few provide the more technical findings from active vulnerability assessments or ICS/OT-specific penetration tests.

In the dynamic world of cybersecurity, staying ahead of threats is a constant challenge for businesses. Fortinet, a global leader in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, offers a range of products designed to provide top-notch security across IT infrastructures. In Egypt, MisrTech stands out as a key player, providing these advanced solutions to protect the digital assets of various organizations. MisrTech, established in 2002, has carved a niche for itself in the design, installation, and service of data and communications networks. Their expertise in delivering Fortinet's high-performance security solutions has been instrumental in safeguarding the IT infrastructure of their clients. The Fortinet Security Fabric, which MisrTech implements, is a testament to their commitment to providing a unified security approach that is broad, integrated, and automated. The Fortinet flagship enterprise firewall platform, FortiGate, is available in a wide range of sizes and form factors, catering to different environments and ensuring a comprehensive array of next-generation security and networking functions. MisrTech's role in deploying these solutions is crucial for organizations looking to protect their entire attack surface, from headquarters to branch offices. For businesses in Egypt seeking to enhance their cybersecurity posture, MisrTech offers a suite of services that cover network security, multi-cloud security, secure access, security operations, network operations, endpoint and device protection, and application security. Their after-sales services and customer satisfaction levels speak volumes about their dedication to their clientele. As the digital landscape evolves, the partnership between Fortinet and MisrTech is a beacon of reliability for Egyptian enterprises. Those interested in learning more about how MisrTech can tailor Fortinet solutions to meet specific business needs can reach out to their sales team for detailed information and guidance. For further details on MisrTech's offerings and how they can help secure your business with Fortinet's solutions, please visit their official website. https://www.misrtech.com

🚀 Harnessing Fortinet FortiGate for Superior Network Security and Enterprise Networking 🚀 In today’s landscape of sophisticated cyber threats, the Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) stands out as a crucial defense mechanism for organizations. This robust tool is essential for safeguarding networks against advanced attacks. 🔒 Key Features of FortiGate: * Advanced Threat Intelligence: Utilizing AI-driven threat intelligence, FortiGate enables real-time detection and response to emerging threats like ransomware and zero-day vulnerabilities. This proactive stance is vital for protecting sensitive data. * Intrusion Prevention and Detection: The built-in Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) identifies and neutralizes threats before they can impact network integrity, effectively mitigating risks. * Granular Application Control: With its capability to filter web traffic and manage applications, FortiGate empowers organizations to enforce security policies rigorously, preventing unauthorized access and ensuring compliance. 📡 Enhancing Enterprise Networking FortiGate is not just a security solution; it excels in enterprise networking, serving as an all-in-one platform. Here’s how: * Secure SD-WAN Implementation: FortiGate’s Secure SD-WAN technology optimizes performance while ensuring secure data transmission across multiple channels, ideal for hybrid environments. * Zero Trust Architecture: By adopting a Zero Trust model with FortiGate, organizations can authenticate all users and devices before granting access to network resources, significantly reducing risk. * Integrated Security Fabric: Fortinet’s Security Fabric delivers a unified approach to security, enhancing visibility and streamlining threat response across the organization. 🔍 FortiGate Models: Here are a few models showcasing the capabilities of the Fortinet NGFW: * FortiGate 60F: Tailored for small to medium-sized businesses, offering advanced threat protection with integrated SD-WAN and up to 10 Gbps firewall throughput. * FortiGate 100F: Designed for larger enterprises, featuring enhanced security and up to 20 Gbps firewall throughput. * FortiGate 200E: Ideal for distributed enterprises, supporting up to 50 Gbps firewall throughput and advanced malware protection.

I recently completed a project where I integrated the pfSense firewall with Wazuh, and I’m excited to share the process with you. This integration enhances security by combining pfSense’s robust firewall capabilities with Wazuh’s powerful monitoring and alerting features. 🙂 Understanding pfSense and Wazuh? pfSense is a free and open-source firewall and router platform based on FreeBSD. It offers a wide range of features, including stateful packet filtering, VPN support, traffic shaping, load balancing, and more. pfSense is widely used in both small businesses and enterprise environments for its flexibility, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Wazuh is an open-source SIEM solution that provides security monitoring, threat detection, and compliance management. It collects and analyzes logs from various sources across your network, correlating events to detect potential security incidents. Wazuh also offers real-time monitoring, intrusion detection, vulnerability detection, and more. 😊 Why Integrate pfSense with Wazuh? 1) Enhanced Threat Detection: Integrating pfSense with Wazuh allows for better detection of complex, multi-stage attacks by correlating pfSense logs with other network data. 2) Centralized Logging and Monitoring: Wazuh centralizes pfSense logs for easier compliance, troubleshooting, and forensic analysis. 3) Real-Time Alerts and Response: Wazuh triggers real-time alerts from pfSense logs, enabling quick responses to potential threats. 4) Intrusion Detection and Prevention Wazuh enhances pfSense’s IDPS capabilities by correlating logs to detect sophisticated attacks. 5) Compliance and Reporting: Integration simplifies meeting regulatory requirements with Wazuh’s built-in compliance dashboards and reporting. 6) Improved Network Visibility: Analyzing pfSense logs in Wazuh provides better insight into unusual network traffic patterns. 8) Scalability and Flexibility: Both pfSense and Wazuh are scalable and customizable to fit various environments. 9) Cost-Effective Security: The open-source nature of pfSense and Wazuh offers robust security on a limited budget, ideal for small and medium-sized businesses. 🙂 Integrating pfSense with Wazuh has been an enriching experience, and I’m excited to share the knowledge I gained. The combined power of these two tools provides a robust security solution that can significantly enhance an organization’s defense mechanisms

Securing a critical infrastructure like a wastewater treatment facility is of utmost importance to ensure the safety of operations, protect against cyber threats, and maintain public health. Two approaches to securing this environment are: 1. IT-focused security enforcement using network switch access control lists (ACLs) and VLANs, along with limited layer 3 firewalls at the perimeter; 2. An implementation of CIP (Common Industrial Protocol) security configured in all the PLCs. IT-Focused Security (ACLs, VLANs, Layer 3 Firewalls): Strengths: Segregation of Networks: VLANs and ACLs can be used to segregate networks within the facility, ensuring that different zones or components (e.g., headwater control, aeration control) are isolated from one another. This limits lateral movement for attackers. Perimeter Defense: Layer 3 firewalls at the facility's perimeter can provide strong protection against external threats, such as unauthorized access or attacks originating from the internet. Standard IT Practices: Leveraging IT-focused security practices allows the facility to benefit from well-established security protocols and procedures used in traditional IT environments. Weaknesses: Limited Protection within Zones: While IT-focused security is effective at the network level, it may not provide sufficient protection against threats originating within the same zone or segment of the network. An attacker with access to one part of the network may still exploit vulnerabilities within that zone. Complexity: Implementing VLANs, ACLs, and firewalls can be complex and may require a high level of expertise to configure and maintain, potentially leading to misconfigurations or vulnerabilities. CIP Security in PLCs: Strengths: Granular Control: CIP security within PLCs offers granular control over the security of individual devices and components. Each PLC can be configured with its security settings, limiting unauthorized access. End-to-End Encryption: CIP security can provide end-to-end encryption for communication between PLCs and other devices, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality. Intrazone Security: CIP security can protect against internal threats, as each PLC can authenticate and authorize communication with other PLCs within the same zone, reducing the risk of lateral movement. Weaknesses: Integration Complexity: Implementing CIP security in PLCs may require specialized knowledge of industrial control systems and could be challenging to integrate into an existing infrastructure. Resource-Intensive: Configuring security settings in each PLC can be resource-intensive and time-consuming, especially in larger facilities with numerous PLCs. Vendor Dependence: The effectiveness of CIP security relies on the capabilities and security practices of the PLC vendors. Vulnerabilities in vendor-specific implementations could pose risks. How are you pursuing these challenges in your own security architecture and engineered designs?

WHY DO WE NEED FTD IF WE HAVE ASA FIREWALL?? ASA is sufficient for organizations looking for standard firewall protections, FTD is better suited for those needing comprehensive, integrated threat defense mechanisms to tackle modern security challenges. Cisco's Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) and Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) are both prominent security solutions, but they cater to different security needs and architectural approaches For Eg:- Advanced Threat Protection: While the ASA provides basic firewall functionalities like packet filtering, VPN support, routing, and more, FTD is built upon the same foundational capabilities but integrates advanced threat detection and protection mechanisms. FTD uses the Firepower services to provide enhanced intrusion prevention, advanced malware protection, and comprehensive threat intelligence. These features are crucial for protecting against complex and evolving threats, which a traditional ASA might not handle as effectively. Unified Management: FTD offers the advantage of being managed through the Firepower Management Center (FMC), which provides a centralized platform for policy management, event viewing, and reporting across multiple appliances. This is particularly beneficial in larger deployments where unified policy management and detailed analytics are necessary. ASA requires a separate management console and does not integrate natively with the Firepower services for threat management. Integration and Flexibility: FTD integrates both the capabilities of the ASA and the advanced threat functionalities of Firepower into a single device, simplifying the network security architecture and reducing complexity. For organizations moving towards a more integrated security posture, FTD provides a more streamlined and potentially cost-effective solution. Performance and Scalability: FTD is designed to handle more modern security demands, offering better performance when it comes to inspecting encrypted traffic and executing deep packet inspection without significantly impacting network performance.

Resiliency - what a concept! Ask me how to protect yourself and your assets from cyber threats:

In today's world, where cyber-attacks are alarmingly widespread, the healthcare sector needs robust security architectures to ensure control and resiliency. At Technossus, we leverage our extensive experience in building resilient applications to empower and protect our clients. Our application resiliency framework thoroughly evaluates the robustness, reliability, and recoverability of your critical applications.   We prioritize availability, fault tolerance, scalability, disaster recovery, and security to minimize downtime, protect against cyber threats, and ensure seamless operations under dynamic conditions. In less than four weeks, we identify vulnerabilities and provide actionable recommendations to enhance your security posture.   Protect your business operations and reputation with Technossus—your partner in resilient, secure healthcare technology solutions. #HealthcareIT #CyberSecurity #ApplicationResiliency #Technossus #BusinessContinuity #HealthcareSecurity #CyberThreats #ITSecurity https://lnkd.in/ghXSqTfN

Cybersecurity in the Modern Landscape - Detection & Response Types In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, cyberattacks have become increasingly common, sophisticated, and financially impactful. As a result, organizations face a pressing need to develop robust cybersecurity strategies. At the heart of any effective security approach lies the capability to detect and respond to threats that manage to bypass traditional security measures. Let’s review into four essential detection and response tools: 1) Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): these solutions focus on monitoring and securing individual endpoints (such as workstations, servers, and mobile devices) within an organization’s network. They provide real-time visibility into endpoint activities, detect suspicious behavior, and respond swiftly to potential threats. Use Case: A medium-sized company with a distributed workforce wants to protect its laptops and servers from advanced threats 2) Managed Detection and Response (MDR): these services go beyond EDR by offering managed security expertise. Organizations outsource their threat detection and response functions to MDR providers. MDR teams continuously monitor network traffic, analyze logs, and investigate potential incidents. Use Case:  A large enterprise with a complex network infrastructure seeks proactive threat detection and expert incident response. 3) Extended Detection and Response (XDR): these solutions integrates data from multiple security sources (such as EDR, network traffic analysis, and cloud security) to provide a holistic view of threats. It enables cross-domain threat detection and facilitates coordinated responses across various security layers. Use Case: A global organization with diverse security tools wants to unify threat detection and response across its entire infrastructure 4) Network Detection and Response (NDR): is a category of cybersecurity technologies that employ non-signature-based methods, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and behavioral analytics, to detect and respond to network threats in real time. In summary NDR offers contextual visibility, behavioral analysis, and timely alerts, making it an essential component of modern network security Use Case: Any organization that want to improve the security posture by providing real-time visibility, threat detection, and automated response.