The energy sector is facing a perfect storm. Ransomware attacks, advanced persistent threats (APTs), and cybersecurity regulations are becoming increasingly prevalent. Economic uncertainty has left budgets in flux. Frontline cybersecurity professionals are feeling burnt out. In short, cybersecurity programs are being tasked to prevent more threats with fewer resources. This is not an impossible task, but it does require a paradigm shift.
Historically, cybersecurity initiatives have focused on perimeter protection, anti-malware tools and threat detection and security information and event management (SIEM) for incident response. Common metrics that are tracked are number of vulnerabilities or CVEs, mean time to detection (MTTD) and mean time to response (MTTR). However, this model has left cybersecurity teams buried in vulnerabilities and alerts.
The other part of the problem is that cyberattacks have evolved to exploit common misconfigurations, exposed devices and vulnerabilities and can quickly spread laterally across the organization including to critical infrastructure. The solution is to focus on proactive risk management strategies, including visibility and cyber hygiene.
A deluge of alerts
Traditional threat detection solutions often fall short, leading to a state of alert fatigue and CVE overload for cybersecurity professionals. The sheer volume of alerts and other data generated by these solutions can overwhelm even the most diligent teams, making it challenging to distinguish between false positives, risks that can be accepted and genuine incidents. Alert fatigue not only decreases the effectiveness of incident response, but also contributes to the burnout of an already stretched workforce.
To illustrate, consider the electric utility industry's reliance on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems and its interconnectivity across large geographic areas, states or even countries. These systems interconnect and control hundreds of remote sites and generate vast amounts of data, including logs and alerts. It is difficult to find operational misconfigurations and cyber risks. Being geographically spread it takes a long time to troubleshoot and handle incidents. As threat actors become more sophisticated and interconnectivity and digitalization increases, the volume of alerts rises exponentially. It is increasingly challenging for cybersecurity professionals to distinguish genuine threats from false alarms.
Attempting to manage a flood of vulnerabilities and alerts is like trying to bail out a boat with a paper cup. While the urgency to address threats is clear, simply responding to alerts without a strategic approach to risk reduction is a futile exercise. Organizations must pivot towards a proactive risk management strategy that prioritizes threat prevention and mitigation over incident response.
When the levee breaks
Misconfigured and exposed network devices and unpatched vulnerabilities are a major source of risk in the electric utility sector. These vulnerabilities extend beyond traditional IT systems and infiltrate operational technology (OT) and industrial devices, exposing critical infrastructure to the risk of exploitation.
For instance, a misconfigured Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) in a power plant can result in unauthorized access and control, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences. The infamous Stuxnet malware, which targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, demonstrated how sophisticated attacks can leverage vulnerabilities in industrial control systems.
Recent cyberattacks, like the wave of attacks on European utilities, are far less sophisticated, but still effective. They make use of the new interconnectivity of IT and OT systems, known vulnerabilities, and attack techniques to spread to critical infrastructure and disrupt operations with ransomware or to steal data.
Operational technology, which is integral to the functioning of electric utilities, is particularly vulnerable because it is more difficult to patch and to stay on top of threat detection alerts. Malicious actors could exploit these vulnerabilities to disrupt power grids, representing a significant threat to public safety, as well as any associated financial losses.
Addressing these risks requires a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that extends beyond traditional IT systems to encompass the entire spectrum of critical OT and IoT systems and interconnected network infrastructure.
Batten down the hatches
To mitigate these risks, organizations must focus on enhancing visibility into their networks and improving cyber hygiene practices. Visibility involves gaining a comprehensive understanding of the entire IT and OT environment – including unmanaged devices and IoT devices – enabling organizations to remediate risks and detect potential threats.
Implementing robust cyber hygiene practices involves regular or real-time risk assessments, review and hardening of default configurations, system updates and patch management when possible, and monitoring for exposed devices and lack of network segmentation.
By regularly auditing systems, and continuously monitoring them for changes, organizations can improve security hygiene and close exposures that leave them at risk of exploitation and downtime. Furthermore, enforcing authentication and authorization controls limits the potential for unauthorized access and network segmentation limits the lateral movement of attacks and keeps vulnerable devices that cannot be patched running securely.
As the threat of cyberattack continues to escalate, prioritizing risk management is paramount for the electric utility industry. Cybersecurity professionals must navigate the struggles of alert fatigue and log overload, and the complexity of risk management inherent in critical infrastructure.
As IT and OT systems converge, we need to integrate our cyber defenses and exchange risk contexts among security tools and IT and OT teams. Having a clear picture of the risks and the context of an asset enables correlation of logs and alerts and gives prioritization of viable remediation actions to accelerate risk mitigation and incident response.
By addressing misconfigurations, exposures and weak security practices and increasing collaboration between IT security and OT teams, organizations can fortify their defense against cyberattacks. Through enhanced visibility and robust cyber hygiene practices, the electric utility industry can weather the storm and ensure the resilience of critical infrastructure.