Barak Schneeweiss – Subject Matter Expert

Barak has over 25 years of IT experience as a System and Networking Administrator, Integrator, and Network Architect.

In the past few years, he has specialized in full-stack network deployments and segmentation for unmanaged Medical IoT/IoT/OT and Enterprises. Most recently, Barak has enjoyed working in the cyber security space, helping companies reveal and protect xIoT assets.

Agenda:

1. Introduction of the parties
2. Discussion Topics
   • Business challenges related to integrating IT and OT
   • Have you integrated IT with OT?
   • Is the process still ongoing?
   • What is your endgame?
   • Does OT as an organization still exist, or has IT absorbed it?
3. Conclusions
4. Networking with Peers

The post When Hospital IT Inherits Clinical Engineering – Sponsored by Claroty on April 3rd, 2025 appeared first on IT RoundTable.

Expert Guest

Arshad Massomi – Subject Matter Expert

Arshad is an experienced solutions engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the Defense and Space industry. His expertise is focused on Computer Networks and Cybersecurity.

Agenda:

1. Introduction of the parties
2. Discussion Topics
   • Business challenges related to integrating IT and OT
   • Have you integrated IT with OT?
   • Is your OT Security Systems Resilient enough for any challenge?
   • What is your endgame?
   • Does OT as an organization still exist, or has IT absorbed it?
3. Conclusions
4. Networking with Peers

The post When IT Inherits OT – Sponsored by Claroty on March 27th, 2025 appeared first on IT RoundTable.

Expert Guests

Kha Phan – Subject Matter Expert

Kha Phan is a distinguished IT professional with over 25 years of experience in the industry. Leveraging his deep expertise in telecom, networking, and software development, Kha helps companies devise digital strategies that seamlessly transition them into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Recognized by Gartner for his exceptional work in designing and directing transformational changes in network, infrastructure, and cloud environments globally.

At the forefront of AI innovations, Kha drives the development of intelligent systems that revolutionize how organizations leverage technology for strategic advantage.

Kha’s ability to analyze and communicate emerging IT trends, combined with his business and entrepreneurial mindset, makes him a sought-after speaker at industry conferences. He excels at presenting complex concepts in a way that delivers value to diverse audiences. He is retained by enterprises and leading consulting firms to provide valuable insights into IT architecture design and processes.

Dr. WhiteCloud – Subject Matter Expert

Dr. WhiteCloud, MS, MD, is a distinguished data scientist and AI innovator with a proven track record of deploying advanced AI agents and generative models across diverse industries. He earned his master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Caltech, where he researched shock waves in inertial confinement fusion. He later pursued medical school at the University of Iowa and, after completing his residency in family medicine, worked in primary care at the VA and Indian Health Service before transitioning into data science.

On the technical front, he has worked with leading organizations such as PwC, General Mills, Ecolab, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ryder, Carelon, Allstate, Ellucian, and PepsiCo. His expertise spans NLP, MLOps, data governance, data security, data engineering, data science, machine learning, graph networks, neural networks, AI engineering, software development, and enterprise AI architecture. His career highlights include developing the machine learning model for Allstate’s Identity Protection and deploying the first GenAI application at the Joint Commission, where he served as the Enterprise AI Architect. He currently serves as the Chief of Innovation at Bright Technology Consulting.

Throughout his career, he has leveraged cutting-edge technologies to drive impactful business solutions, from automating financial services workflows and enhancing healthcare compliance to innovating educational assessment models. His contributions have consistently optimized operational costs, streamlined processes, and spearheaded digital transformation strategies for Fortune 500 companies and startups. His expertise in autonomous AI agents for invoicing validation, staffing optimization, and customer engagement showcases his technical acumen and visionary leadership in AI-driven business evolution.

Agenda:

1. Introduction of the parties
2. Kha Phan’s talk on AI security, emerging Agentic framework, and Strategy for success
3. General discussion regarding AI implementation and challenges
4. Conclusions
5. Networking with Peers

The post Is AI Secure and What can it do for me? – Sponsored by Bright Technologies on March 20th, 2025 appeared first on IT RoundTable.

Expert Guest

Kristy Sabio – Subject Matter Expert

Kristy Sabio has over 10 years of technical experience in the public and private sectors. She served in the US Army as part of the 136th Signal Battalion, providing telecommunication services for US Army Central in the Middle East. After her service, she became an Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Security Consulting Manager who built and matured OT security programs for clients in the manufacturing, energy, and utilities industries.

She currently holds a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. She is also certified as a Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP), GIAC Response and Industrial Defense (GRID), and Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900).

Agenda:

1. Introduction of the parties
2. Discussion Topics
   • Business challenges related to integrating IT and OT
   • Have you integrated IT with OT?
   • Is your OT Security Systems Resilient enough for any challenge?
   • What is your endgame?
   • Does OT as an organization still exist, or has IT absorbed it?
3. Conclusions
4. Networking with Peers

The post When IT Inherits OT – Sponsored by Claroty on March 13th, 2025 appeared first on IT RoundTable.

Expert Guest

Randy Guerette – Subject Matter Expert

Randy has 30 years of experience with a broad range of technology solutions, working for Cabletron Systems, Ascend Communications, Lucent Technologies, ADC Telecommunications, Strix Systems, Proxim Wireless, 3Com, Sonus Networks, Bradford Networks, Check Point, and Medigate/Claroty for the last 4 ½ years.

Agenda:

1. Introduction of the parties
2. Discussion Topics
   • Business challenges related to integrating IT and OT
   • Have you integrated IT with OT?
   • Is the process still ongoing?
   • What is your endgame?
   • Does OT as an organization still exist, or has IT absorbed it?
3. Conclusions
4. Networking with Peers

The post When Hospital IT Inherits Clinical Engineering – Sponsored by Claroty on March 6th, 2025 appeared first on IT RoundTable.

Incorporating digital technologies such as Industry 4.0 and IoT leads to greater interconnection among OT systems. It is mixing the boundaries between IT and OT security. This link enhances productivity. Nonetheless, it also creates new opportunities for focused attacks and ransomware schemes that disrupt operations for monetary or strategic benefits.

Thankfully, there is a solution to this. Vulnerability management. Despite seeming straightforward, effectively managing vulnerabilities in OT systems significantly reduces risks and protects your organization from costly cyberattacks. 

In this article, we’ll discuss challenges and vulnerability management strategies to deal with them.

What Does Managing Vulnerabilities in OT Mean?

First things first. Managing vulnerabilities in operational technology (OT) environments differs from typical IT systems. In operational contexts, particularly when managing industrial control systems (ICS security), there’s a pressing need to safeguard crucial infrastructure. 

Unlike IT, OT environments include equipment such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, and various Internet of Things (IIoT) devices that often form the foundation of industrial operations.

OT vulnerability management is about dealing with security gaps in outdated or inherently insecure systems. This includes assessing potential flaws in software and components like user accounts and network configurations. The focus is broad. It must cover everything from insecure ports to account, service, and device management.

Vulnerability Management Steps:

1. Assessment: Evaluate both software vulnerabilities and inherent design risks across assets.
2. Prioritization: Decide which issues to address first based on their potential impact and ease of exploitation.
3. Remediation: Implement solutions—often more than just a simple patch. This can involve reconfiguring settings or deploying alternative controls without typical reliance on conventional IT tactics.

A key challenge is that many OT devices must remain functional continuously, making it difficult to take them offline for patching or updating without impacting operations. Therefore, effective management in this realm requires an understanding that vulnerabilities in OT aren’t limited to software issues.

Engaging in an OT vulnerability management program is a hands-on, collaborative effort. This can involve multiple teams to ensure that the sensitive nature of OT and ICS networks doesn’t clash with the solutions applied. Adopting meticulous, tailored approaches to such systems makes managing vulnerabilities essential to maintaining security and ensuring that these critical operations run smoothly.

Challenges and Strategies for Managing OT Vulnerabilities

Inventory Challenge: Missing Asset Details

In many operational environments, asset tracking is alarmingly inadequate. Fingering through outdated spreadsheets or pooled data from various origins often leaves you with a patchy image of your asset landscape. Without a comprehensive registry, gauging the scope of new vulnerabilities and deciding which OT systems can receive patches becomes a headache.

Asset listings shouldn’t merely be an enumeration. You need solutions that deliver deep insights into each device. This means understanding the critical roles assets play, their operational layers, and whether they allow remote access. Enhancing the context around each asset enriches vulnerability evaluations and threat prioritizations.

Many firms have turned to passive surveillance or network-based systems to start building an asset ledger, but these tools typically fall short. For instance, listening devices can’t catch assets that aren’t directly feeding data through them, often resulting in major blind spots, like serially connected equipment. You need a comprehensive solution that directly interacts with endpoints, offering both wide and detailed visibility.

With a thorough asset inventory and insightful data analyses at your fingertips, vulnerability management transforms into an actionable strategy. Comprehensive asset details, going beyond basic vulnerability scores, help tailor effective remediation plans, enabling you to address threats in a more focused manner.

Challenge: Identifying System Weaknesses

Vulnerability scanners are abundant but not always suited for OT environments. These scanners typically operate by applying the most recent threat markers to devices, creating vulnerabilities that are anticipated for IT rather than OT settings. For OT, where devices interact delicately over many ports, a heavy-handed scanning approach can introduce actual disruptions.

Scans customized for OT take a gentler approach to avoid impacting operations, targeting only the most robust systems during planned outages. While these softer scans are crucial for operational safety, they often miss critical data. This scenario highlights gaps, leaving you with outdated or incomplete vulnerability maps.

An alternative is embracing a dual approach—agent-based management for OS devices paired with agentless tools for network and communication gear. Such a strategy offers detailed insights in real-time, thus enhancing protective measures. Cross-referencing this enriched asset database with vulnerability repositories, like the National Vulnerability Database, helps pin down your infrastructure’s most exposed areas.

Challenge: Deciding Which Vulnerabilities Matter Most

Large volumes of vulnerabilities can become overwhelming. Properly ordering these flaws is crucial for efficient risk management. Prioritization means weighing system criticality, operational impacts, and protective measures.

You should focus on assets that, if compromised, could severely impact essential operations. Another crucial factor is determining if a vulnerability represents a feasible attack path, whether due to inadequate hardening or remote access permissions. Guidelines such as the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) contribute to understanding vulnerability severity, yet a context-intensive assessment of asset interconnections is often more revealing.

Challenge: Addressing Vulnerabilities Swiftly

Timing is everything when it comes to fixing vulnerabilities. You need transparent processes to ensure identified risks aren’t left unattended.

Efforts should be made to establish rapid vulnerability response protocols. Given the intricate dependencies within OT environments, balancing this act without disrupting operations requires fine-tuned coordination. A proactive approach involves continuously updating both detection mechanisms and patch management systems, ensuring you’re ready to act when new vulnerabilities are discovered.

Challenge: Monitoring the Vulnerability Management Lifecycle

Continuity in monitoring your system-wide vulnerability management is essential to account for progress and tackle ongoing challenges. Moving vulnerabilities through a cycle—detection, analysis, remediation, and reassessment—demands persistent tracking and documentation.

Documenting each step in the cycle aids in understanding where improvements can be made and ensures that no step stalls over time. Regular vulnerability audits offer you a clearer picture of the evolution of your network’s defenses and provide opportunities to refine your strategies.

Managing vulnerabilities in OT environments presents numerous challenges. By developing a more nuanced understanding of your asset inventory, identifying vulnerabilities, efficiently prioritizing them, closing them in due time, and keeping track of the whole process, you enhance the security and resilience of your OT infrastructure.

The post The Ultimate Guide to OT Vulnerability Management: Essential Tips for Enhanced Security appeared first on IT RoundTable.

Expert Guest

Ryan Bowery – Subject Matter Expert

Ryan Bowery is a Principal Solutions Engineer with extensive experience in OT and ICS environments such as Petro Chemical, Manufacturing, Food & Bev, Automotive, etc.

Ryan helps companies reveal, protect, and manage their OT, IoT, and IIoT assets to provide visibility, threat detection, risk and vulnerability management, and secure remote access.

Agenda:

1. Introduction of the parties
2. Discussion Topics
   • Business challenges related to integrating IT and OT
   • Have you integrated IT with OT?
   • Is the process still ongoing?
   • What is your endgame?
   • Does OT as an organization still exist, or has IT absorbed it?
3. Conclusions
4. Networking with Peers

The post When IT Inherits OT – Sponsored by Claroty on February 20th, 2025 appeared first on IT RoundTable.

Expert Guest

Barak Schneeweiss – Subject Matter Expert

Barak has over 25 years of IT experience as a System and Networking Administrator, Integrator, and Network Architect.

In the past few years, he has specialized in full-stack network deployments and segmentation for unmanaged Medical IoT/IoT/OT and Enterprises. Most recently, Barak has enjoyed working in the cyber security space, helping companies reveal and protect xIoT assets.

Agenda:

1. Introduction of the parties
2. Discussion Topics
   • Business challenges related to integrating IT and OT
   • Have you integrated IT with OT?
   • Is the process still ongoing?
   • What is your endgame?
   • Does OT as an organization still exist, or has IT absorbed it?
3. Conclusions
4. Networking with Peers

The post When Hospital IT Inherits Clinical Engineering – Sponsored by Claroty on February 6th, 2025 appeared first on IT RoundTable.

These systems, while foundational, face numerous security challenges, making it vital to protect them from potential attacks.

When it comes to safeguarding ICS, understanding the common threats and adopting best practices is essential. By staying informed and proactive, you can help maintain the resilience of these important systems, ensuring they continue to operate safely and efficiently. 

Exploring various strategies and solutions can equip you with the knowledge to contribute to this ongoing effort.

ICS Security Explained: What Does ICS Mean?

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are integral to the smooth operation of critical infrastructure, including water, power, and transportation systems. As these systems increasingly rely on digital technology, securing them becomes crucial. ICS security specifically addresses the protection of both the hardware and software used by these systems and their operators. 

You’re likely to encounter terms such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) in operational technology (OT) environments, highlighting technology facilitating vital functions. Focused security measures aim to safeguard the systems and the personnel relying on them.

How Security for Industrial Control Systems Operates

Security for industrial control systems keeps the machinery running smoothly and securely by protecting processes from cyber risks. It prioritizes preventing security breaches, and during emergencies that impact safety, such as an accident, you can call emergency numbers for help. 

Secure management of these systems involves keeping your operations visible and controlled effectively. This often includes using a series of dashboards in a control room, providing critical updates on machinery status. By enhancing visibility, you can ensure the safety and efficiency of your systems without compromising cybersecurity or operational control.

Why ICS Security Matters for Business Operations

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Security plays a vital role in ensuring your business runs smoothly. It not only safeguards the production of goods but also shields the infrastructure that your team and customers rely on daily. Ensuring robust ICS security means your operations can continue without interruptions, helping maintain operational efficiencies.

Moreover, when ICS security is effective, it protects crucial components that support national infrastructure and, by extension, national security. 

By prioritizing security measures, you help prevent service disruptions and protect employees from potential harm caused by malfunctioning equipment. This approach is not just about safety; it’s about securing the future of your business.

Strategies for Addressing ICS Security Obstacles

When dealing with Industrial Control Systems (ICS), it’s important to have a plan to handle security challenges effectively.

1. Unavailable Core System Components: To protect your operations, consider implementing an ICS security solution designed to safeguard the essential components. This approach helps ensure that interruptions are minimized and safety is maintained.
   
2. Outdated Protocols: Older systems often rely on insecure, obsolete protocols. Consider adding firewalls or physical barriers to completely isolate the asset, preventing unauthorized access. In some cases, upgrading to a new system may be necessary, even if it requires replacing functioning components.

Integrating these measures into your cybersecurity strategy can significantly reduce risks and enhance the security of your industrial operations.

Common Threats to Industrial Control Systems

Outside Influences and Direct Attacks

Your industrial OT systems are frequently targeted by hackers and other malicious individuals because they play a vital role in ensuring the safety and well-being of communities. These adversaries aim to disrupt operations, extract sensitive data, or steal valuable intellectual property. 

Implementing a multi-layered defense strategy is essential to protect essential operations. Even a brief disruption could have severe consequences for thousands of people. The attackers might be motivated by the desire for a competitive edge or deliberately damaging particular groups.

Insider Risks

In your systems, the absence of stringent access controls can pose significant risks and OT cybersecurity threats from within. An individual with improper intentions and access to your infrastructure can cause extensive damage. One principal concern is the insertion of malicious software, which could bring production to an abrupt halt. Moreover, access to your internal databases allows a malicious insider to rapidly exfiltrate vast amounts of data.

Mistakes by Personnel

It’s crucial to recognize the impact of human error in your operations. Simple misconfigurations, incorrect programming, or failure to respond to system alerts can disrupt productivity significantly. Often, these errors stem from individuals stepping in for more experienced staff and inadvertently overlooking critical details. 

Your operational stability can suffer due to these oversights, leading to potentially costly consequences. Emphasizing training and experience is key to minimizing such errors and ensuring smooth operational processes.

Best Security Practices for ICS

To enhance the security of your Industrial Control Systems (ICS), it’s essential to employ various protective measures. Control access to critical parts of your system by implementing firewalls, creating a secure barricade between machinery and your organizational networks. 

Additionally, limiting physical access for individuals who don’t require it can further safeguard your ICS devices. This can involve using physical security measures like guards or digital tools such as card readers.

Consider focusing on individual ICS elements by closing unused ports, applying necessary security updates, and emphasizing the least-privilege principle to ensure access is granted only where needed. Protect your data by ensuring its integrity during both storage and transmission. 

To avoid disruptions, integrate redundancy for crucial components, allowing production to continue even if something fails. Lastly, having a structured incident response plan is vital for quickly restoring normal operations after any disruption.

Key Strategies for Cybersecurity

1. Application Whitelisting (AWL): Implementing AWL helps prevent the execution of unauthorized applications, providing a robust barrier against malware. This is especially beneficial for static environments like databases and Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs), where operators should collaborate with vendors to establish baseline configurations.
   
2. Configuration and Patch Management: Regularly updating systems with trusted patches is one of the OT security best practices. It’s vital for mitigating attacks. Establish a reliable configuration and patch management protocol, including maintaining asset inventories, prioritizing patches for critical systems like HMIs and servers, and minimizing external laptop access to control networks.
   
3. Reducing the Attack Surface: Isolate ICS networks from untrusted external connections, particularly the internet. Close all unused ports and services, allowing external access only when necessary for specific operational requirements. Leverage technologies like data diodes for one-way communication to enhance security where possible.
   
4. Creating a Defendable Environment: In the event of a security breach, segmenting networks into logical sections can limit damage and prevent attackers from moving laterally within systems. Encourage containment strategies and use approved removable media for data transfers to minimize exposure.
   
5. Effective Management of Authentication: Strengthening authentication processes is essential in protecting access to sensitive systems. Employ multi-factor authentication and ensure strict access controls are enacted.
   
6. Ongoing Security Monitoring: Being proactive about continuous monitoring allows for early detection of potential threats, ensuring rapid response capabilities. This includes leveraging tools for anomaly detection and threat intelligence to stay ahead of evolving cyber risks.
   
7. Establishing Robust Incident Response Plans: Develop comprehensive plans that detail immediate actions and protocols when a cyber incident occurs. This includes defining roles, communication protocols, and recovery strategies to minimize impact.

Safety Guidelines

When prioritizing the security of your Industrial Control Systems, several procedures should guide you. The NIST SP 800-82 provides critical support for your efforts, offering a framework for safe and effective practices set by the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

Additionally, you might consider ANSI/ISA A99, a standard by ANSI/ISA aimed at automating interfaces in your control systems management. Both emphasize strengthening protections and ensuring performance, helping you maintain a secure and reliable operation.

Questions About Industrial Management Systems

How is Security Handled in Industrial Management Systems?

Security for industrial management systems emphasizes protecting the devices and the software they rely on. This protection ensures that these systems run efficiently and without risk.

How Does a Network of Industrial Management Systems Work?

A network involving industrial management systems connects multiple systems to work in harmony. This setup aims to boost security measures, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure overall safety.

What Do Industrial Management Systems and Acquisition Networks Mean?

Regarding industrial management systems, it includes all systems used for managing industrial processes. Supervisory data and acquisition networks are a crucial part of this, focusing on system management through network connections and user-friendly interfaces.

The post ICS Security: Keeping Industrial Networks Safe and Sound appeared first on IT RoundTable.

This is where the fusion of advanced technologies, like machine learning and application awareness, becomes vital. Integrating these capabilities ensures that NGFWs are not just a stand-alone solution but part of a broader, more intelligent strategy to safeguard your digital assets.

With the convergence of IT and operational technology (OT) increasing, it’s crucial to adapt. Implementing advanced threat intelligence and artificial intelligence within your security framework can help bridge any gaps. 

Leveraging such integrated solutions, you are poised to effectively manage IT and OT cybersecurity risks, ensuring that your defenses are robust and responsive to the latest threats.

Implementing Advanced Firewalls in Operational Technology Networks

Incorporating next-generation firewalls in your OT networks can significantly enhance security by providing advanced filtering beyond the capabilities of traditional firewalls. 

These firewalls, known as NGFWs, are highly effective in managing the security of your operational technology environment due to their integration of features like application awareness and control. They take a proactive approach with intrusion prevention and can tie into threat intelligence to combat sophisticated threats.

To safeguard your OT network, network segmentation, and strict access control are crucial. NGFWs offer these by ensuring that sensitive segments of your network are isolated, reducing the risk of attack. This segmentation is complemented by a zero-trust approach, which continually verifies identities, allowing you to enforce policies easily. 

By employing NGFWs, you gain comprehensive network visibility and control, ensuring that potential threats are identified and managed promptly. This meticulous capability is invaluable across sectors such as utilities, oil and gas, and manufacturing.

Enhancing Your IT Cybersecurity with OT Expertise

Integrating Operational Technology (OT) security expertise within your IT cybersecurity strategy helps protect industrial infrastructure from both external and internal threats. 

To safeguard these environments, you must achieve real-time, comprehensive visibility and security tailored to the specific requirements of OT networks. Deploying solutions like next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) alongside OT-specific tools dramatically improves network visibility and control.

Effectively monitoring OT network traffic and Industrial Control System (ICS) devices requires specialized tools and technical knowledge often absent in traditional IT settings. 

Notably, NGFWs are not equipped to query ICS devices in their native languages, which is essential for identifying unauthorized changes not passing through the network, such as those via serial connections.

Maintaining an up-to-date inventory of ICS assets is crucial. Your network may involve diverse programmable logic controllers (PLCs), remote terminal units (RTUs), and distributed control systems (DCSs) from various vendors. 

Ensuring you have detailed information about the devices, including vendor, model, firmware versions, patches, and configurations, is vital for assessing risks and building an effective defense strategy.

NGFWs can seamlessly integrate with ICS asset discovery and tracking tools. This integration lets you extend security policies across IT and OT environments, strengthening your overall security posture. By tagging asset inventory details such as IP address, device type, and vendor to NGFWs, managing security becomes more efficient.

Moreover, by consolidating OT alerts and IT procedures onto a unified platform, complexity in management is reduced. This harmonization allows rapid implementation of OT-specific firewall rules, ultimately streamlining operational and industrial security efforts. Adopting this holistic approach ensures enhanced cybersecurity solutions that bridge the gap between IT and OT systems.

Real-World Applications

In today’s industrial environment, safeguarding systems like Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Distributed Control Systems (DCS) is vital. Cyber threats pose significant risks to critical infrastructure. 

By integrating OT security with next-generation firewall (NGFW) solutions, you can effectively protect against unauthorized access to these industrial operations. Here are some practical applications:

1. Efficient Maintenance of ICS Devices
   
   Maintenance requires network access to sensitive ICS equipment. This process often involves revising the NGFW’s secure policies to allow access. Integrated solutions let you use dynamic address groups (DAG) to configure granular security policies tailored to specific devices rather than relying on static IP addresses. This ensures streamlined maintenance of critical systems such as engineering stations, even when access permissions need quick adjustments.
   
2. Secure Connectivity for ICS and IT Networks
   
   Connecting ICS networks with IT systems typically involves creating broad firewall rules that do not adapt easily to network changes. This can unnecessarily increase the potential attack surface. An integrated approach allows you to define precise rules for each asset, categorized by type or vendor, without needing detailed network knowledge or static addresses. For example, you can set specific rules to govern communication commands, ensuring secure data exchange across your OT infrastructure.
   

By leveraging integrated security solutions, you harmonize the safety of cyber-physical systems with operational efficiency, adapting seamlessly to continuous network changes. This enables industrial organizations to maintain robust defenses against evolving cyberattacks while ensuring that industrial control systems operate smoothly and securely.

Looking Forward

As you explore future possibilities in digital transformation, the seamless integration of IT and OT systems stands out. A key player like Palo Alto Networks can aid in this journey by enhancing security frameworks to protect your business from cyber threats. With the convergence of IT and OT, you can achieve a more holistic view of network activities, thus optimizing both security and operations.

Incorporating next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) into your infrastructure allows for improved visibility and control, which is essential for safeguarding critical operations. Cloud applications add another layer of flexibility, ensuring you maintain business continuity, even during disruptions.

To stay ahead, focusing on such advanced technologies contributes to a robust, secure environment. You’re not just preparing for tomorrow’s challenges but actively shaping a resilient future. This approach benefits organizations that are ready to adapt, enabling them to thrive amidst ever-evolving cyber landscapes.

The post Integrating Your OT Security with Next-Generation Firewalls: A Seamless Approach appeared first on IT RoundTable.