Understanding Industrial Cyber Risk Terms
TEKGEM
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN IT & OTMANAGE I PROTECT I MONITOR
Industrial Cyber Security
Introduction
Industrial cyber risks are a growing concern for organizations that rely on industrial control systems (ICS) to operate critical infrastructure, such as power plants, water treatment facilities, and manufacturing plants. Understanding the key terms related to industrial cyber risks is essential for organizations to effectively identify and mitigate them. In this short article, we will explain some of the most important terms related to industrial cyber risks.
Assests
Are the physical or digital resources that an organization relies on to operate its industrial control systems. These can include:
Identifying and understanding all assets within the defined operational technology boundary that an organization operates is an essential first step for protecting against cyber risks.
Vulnerabilites
Are weaknesses in the security of an organization’s assets that can be exploited by attackers. These can include:
Threats
Are the potential sources of harm that can exploit vulnerabilities in an organization’s assets. These can include:
Understanding the types of threats that an organization is likely to face is essential for identifying and mitigating cyber risks. Having an incident response procedure that documents potential threats and how to respond to a crisis or emergency situation is key to ensuring the readiness of the organisation.
Risks
Are the potential negative consequences that can result from the exploitation of vulnerabilities by threats. These can include damage to equipment, loss of data, and disruption of operations. Organizations must identify and evaluate the risks that they face in order to effectively mitigate them.
Exploits
Are the methods that attackers use to take advantage of vulnerabilities in an organization’s assets. These can include:
Exploits
Are the methods that attackers use to take advantage of vulnerabilities in an organization’s assets. These can include:
Impact
Is the degree of harm that would result from a risk being realized. This can include the cost of repairs, loss of data, and disruption of operations. The impact of a risk will help organizations to prioritize their efforts to mitigate the risk.
Likelihood
Is the probability that a risk will occur. This can help organizations to prioritize their efforts to mitigate the risk.
Consequence
Is the overall effect that a risk would have on an organization, including the impact and likelihood of the risk. This can help organizations to prioritize their efforts to mitigate the risk.
Criticality
Refers to the importance of a particular asset, vulnerability, or risk to the organization. This can help organizations to prioritize their efforts to mitigate the risk.
Countermeasures
Are the actions that an organization can take to mitigate the risks that it faces. These can include implementing security controls, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, and implementing security policies, such as incident response plans.
Zones
Refer to the physical or logical areas within a facility where different types of risks are likely to occur. This can include areas where sensitive information is stored, areas where industrial equipment is located, and areas where remote access to control systems is allowed.
Conclusion
Understanding the key terms related to industrial cyber risks is essential for organizations to effectively identify and mitigate these risks. By understanding assets, vulnerabilities, threats, exploits, risks, impact, consequence, likelihood, criticality, zones, and countermeasures, organizations can prioritize their efforts to protect their industrial control systems and critical infrastructure from cyber threats.
