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No one’s doing risk assessments properly. Here’s why.

“The ICS [Industrial Control System] community, as a whole, does not fully understand the extent of the possibilities available to an attacker. The industry must approach the problem of ICS attacks as they do equipment prognostics. It is not a matter of if it will fail, but when it will fail, and the community must...

Clear and present concerns: ASD Cyber Threat Report 2022-2023

In September 2022, the simultaneous hacks of health insurer Medibank Private and telecommunications company Optus served as a wake-up call for many everyday Australians about the reality of cybercrime.  While many organisations in Australia were already focused on cyber security, the hacks reinforced the need to remain vigilant about the processes and practices for protecting their Critical...

Don’t believe the hype about integrated IT and OT security SOC

There is a lot of rhetoric spinning around the cyber security industry about integrating information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) into a centralised Security Operations Centre (SOC) environment. Big IT technology vendors are largely responsible for this rhetoric and of course, they have product to push into the lucrative OT security market.  However, while integrating such...

What industry can learn from Medibank and Optus data breaches

Recent high-profile data breaches in Australia have called attention to data and cyber security – in a big way. IT managers and tech security experts, such as SIS, have been talking about the potential implications of such cyber hacks for years now but, unfortunately, it's taken the scale of the Medibank and Optus incidents to make news headlines...

Report confirms organisations are moving too slowly to secure their OT assets

The 2022 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report saw Fortinet compile the responses of 500 OT security professionals across the world* to ascertain where operational technology (OT) security lies in the priorities of organisational leaders. The findings of this report proved congruent with our experience at SIS. Within the many insights this report provided, it underscored one very...

How an OT-SOC strengthens your cyber resilience

The term 'cyber resilience' is the ability to adapt to disruptions caused by cyber security incidents – using detection, management and recovery tactics – while maintaining continuous business operations. It’s a term that’s being bandied about a lot nowadays but with good reason: a recent Fortinet worldwide survey observed that 93% of survey respondents had experienced...

Download the SIS Industrial Cyber Security Playbook

Breaches in the security of operational technology (OT) – the hardware and software used to drive industrial processes – are increasing in frequency with every given year.  And yet, breaches of this particular nature continue to be among the greatest, most overlooked threats looming over global infrastructure and the safety of communities at large.  We've...

Getting the most out of your on-premises OT-SOC

We’ve already extolled the unique virtues of establishing an off-premises Security Operations Centre (SOC) for your operational technology (OT). And we’ve fervently argued that going off-prem should be your preferred solution because, not only is it a flexible and cost-effective option, it also means tapping your organisation into the level of highly specialised expertise that a 24/7...

Why you should seriously consider an off-premises OT-SOC

Organisations are getting wise to the fact that it takes more than the right technology to protect their industrial assets. There’s no option to just ‘set and forget’ – securing industrial or operational technology (OT) requires constant monitoring and management, and it needs to be done by people who know what they’re doing.  The advantages...

The changing face of ransomware

It’s no revelation that ransomware incidents have been on the rise across the last couple of years. The shift towards remote working, accelerated by the global pandemic, has created more opportunities for hackers, resulting in some high-profile cases in 2021.  When we think of ransomware, our minds generally turn to threats against information technology (IT), which...

Industrial cyber security has a lot to learn from workplace safety

Last month, the Sydney Morning Herald published an article detailing Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews’ call to counter cyber crimes that, in her words, represent a “real and present danger” to Australians and our economy.  Her presentation to Parliament comes off the back of last year’s Cyber Security Strategy and a new government discussion paper that will consider whether proposed...

How to spend wisely when it comes to OT security

The importance of thorough and effective operational technology (OT) security is an organisational concern that is only rising in priority. We just need to look at the impact of recent international incidents – such as the breach at a Florida water treatment plant and Solarwinds – and actions of the Australian Government to know, if we don't take a...

Why people could be the secret ingredient in your industrial cyber security recipe

We've all heard the old adage that 'a computer is only as good as the person operating it', so to say that people could be the secret ingredient in protecting your Operational Technology (OT) is anything but a revolutionary concept. Yet, despite the acceptance of this wisdom in our modern parlance, many of us frequently...

The new Critical Infrastructure Bill – how it affects you

There's been a lot of commentary in the press and from industry pundits about the Federal Government's Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020, which was introduced into Parliament on 10 December. While substantial, this Bill is part of a package of reforms under Australia's Cyber Security Strategy 2020 that aims to help Australian businesses...

Ready to get serious about your industrial cyber security strategy? Here’s what you should ask yourself

The risk the majority of Australian critical infrastructure owners and operators are taking regarding the security of Operational Technology (OT) is very real and, in a number of ways, very concerning. But it doesn’t have to be the case. Cyber security is fundamentally about the protection of business objectives. Whether in relation to IT or...

Think your OT assets are protected from cyber threats? You may need to think again

It’s likely you’ve given some thought, maybe even a lot, to your company’s cyber security requirements. You may have researched what others are doing across industry, performed a risk assessment of sorts and put some new security measures in place. As far as you’re concerned, you’re keeping up with ever-evolving threats and making the grade....

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