New Functionality Revealed for Palo Alto Networks OT Cybersecurity Solutions

Executive Summary

During SecurityWeek’s ICS Cybersecurity Conference in October Palo Alto Networks showcased many new features being added to their operational technology (OT) solutions allowing for better protection of industrial control system (ICS) devices with faster patching, more secure remote access to devices, reliable security in harsh environments, and automated risk assessment. [2] Features like these can be a game changer in ICS environments as availability is often the priority while confidentiality and integrity take a back seat due to the reliance of ICSs for society to function. Another interesting aspect of the new unveiled functionalities is the utilization of AI to better automate and generate necessary reports to better maintain OT environments even when legacy systems are a part of the network. [3]

Background

SecurityWeek’s ICS Cybersecurity Conference is an annual conference held in October which discusses a variety of topics across the many ICS sectors including energy, utility, manufacturing, and transportation. A variety of professionals attend the conference from vendors to cybersecurity experts, and even those in education. [1]

Palo Alto Networks is a global cybersecurity organization providing a wide array of services, products, and solutions. Some services include penetration testing, digital forensics, attack surface assessment, and ransomware readiness assessments. Some products provided include next generation firewalls, enterprise data loss prevention, software as a service (SaaS) security, and industrial OT security.

Significance

According to Palo Alto Networks, “70% of industrial organizations experienced a cyberattack on their OT environment in the last year. Almost 25% of these organizations suffered attacks that led to operational shutdowns and disrupted business continuity.” [4] Attacks on ICSs are not going to stop and organizations like Palo Alto working to stay ahead of new and emerging threats is extremely important to the security of critical industry. Constantly evolving our security practices and sharing information throughout the industry at conferences like SecurityWeek’s ICS Cybersecurity Conference is important to make sure we stay ahead of the threats working everyday to interrupt our society.

Conclusion

OT systems can be especially difficult to secure as in many cases ICS systems cannot be taken down for patches and a simple scan to detect vulnerabilities may not be possible as it may impact the efficiency of connected systems. Successful implementation of new solutions that streamline the patching process or assess ICS networks with little to no downtime are important to enhance security and ensure security professionals are able to detect abnormalities and vulnerabilities as soon as possible. However, no matter how great the security implementation is, cybersecurity professionals must always remember to do their best to avoid complacency and not rely on these solutions to keep everything running. Humans make mistakes and even the best security control could function improperly or fail due to misconfiguration or during the manufacturing of the control itself.

References

1. ICS Cybersecurity Conference. (n.d.). About the ICS Cybersecurity Conference. ICS Cybersecurity Conference. https://www.icscybersecurityconference.com/about-ics/
2. Kovacs, E. (2024). Palo Alto Networks Adds New Capabilities to OT Security Solution. SecurityWeek. https://www.securityweek.com/palo-alto-networks-adds-new-capabilities-to-ot-security-solution/
3. Palo Alto Networks. (n.d.). Precision AI The Future of AI & Cybersecurity. Palo Alto Networks. https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/precision-ai-security
4. Ruble, L. (2024). New OT Security Solutions from Palo Alto Networks Address Growing Cybersecurity Threats to Industrial Operations. Palo Alto Networks.https://investors.paloaltonetworks.com/node/18546/pdf