In today's connected world, technology is more critical than ever for businesses. With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber dangers have become more likely to affect operational technology (OT). 

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are especially vulnerable to these threats because they need more resources or knowledge about safety. In 2022, all companies should put cybersecurity guides at the top of their to-do lists. 

Some small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) may need to put more thought into cybersecurity or may have the means or skills to do so. Protecting your business is essential now and in the future. In this article, we'll talk about how SMEs can keep their OT environments safe.

What Is OT Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity guides for operational technology (OT) refer to the software, hardware, processes, people, and services used to protect people, data, and active technology infrastructure. 

As data collection and analysis become more critical. As IT and OT cybersecurity merge to make "big data" projects possible, it's time to rethink the best ways to protect OT from cyberattacks.

10 Tips For OT Security For Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises

As small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly adopt digital technologies for their operations, they also become more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. In particular, Operational Technology (OT) systems that control physical processes such as manufacturing, energy, and transportation are attractive targets for hackers. 

A successful cyber attack on an OT system can cause physical damage, disruption to operations, and even threaten human safety. Therefore, SMEs need to take proactive steps to protect their OT systems from cyber threats. 

Here are 10 tips for OT security for small and medium-sized enterprises:

Access Control Implementation

Controls on who can get in are important to any security scheme. Small and medium-sized businesses should use access controls to limit who can use their OT tools. 

This means using strong passwords, two-factor security, and only letting in people who can. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) should also use role-based access controls to ensure employees only have access to the data and tools they need to do their jobs.

Maintain Software Updates

Software makers release changes for many reasons, such as adding new features, fixing bugs, and adding security patches. Ensure your program is constantly updated to the latest version as soon as it comes out.

Conduct A Risk Evaluation

The first step to protecting OT environment systems is to know the risks. SMEs should give their OT systems a thorough risk evaluation. 

This evaluation should find the possible threats and weak spots and determine how likely and wrong each danger is. Based on this assessment, SMEs should make a risk management plan that includes security controls, policies, and processes.

Educate Your Workforce

One of the most significant risks in cybersecurity is people. Since social engineering, hacking, and ransomware attacks happen daily. 

It's essential to keep yourself, your family, and your team up-to-date on cybersecurity topics and be careful. From SME to Enterprise, there are great tools that are often free that can help you do just that.

Network Segmentation

Network segmentation is the process of splitting a network into smaller subnetworks. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) should split up their networks so that a computer attack has less effect. 

This means keeping the OT systems separate from the company network and making it hard for people to move between them. SMEs should also split up their OT security systems so that a cyber attack has less effect.

Social Engineering

When hackers can't find a protection hole, they'll find other ways to break in. Type "social engineering." This attack works on the user's thoughts and worries instead of the device to get into systems and information. 

Get rid of any requests for passwords or personal information. No one should be getting in touch with you to ask for personal information. Be aware of the danger at all times.

Security Development Plan

SMEs should make a security strategy with rules and guidelines for how to keep their OT systems safe. Access rules, password management, network segmentation, responding to incidents, and recovering from disasters should all be part of the policy. 

The policy should also explain what workers, vendors, and third-party service providers should do and how they should do it.

Back-Up Plan

Keeping data safe is very important, especially your workers' data on their computers. Encrypted USBs can be very helpful here, ensuring sensitive data can be maintained and transferred as safely as possible. 

Small and medium-sized businesses need backups of their info that are safe. Remember that hackers and malicious risks only sometimes want to steal your data. Sometimes, they use ransomware to encrypt or delete it. Resilience is the key to data recovery.

Train Personnel

Training for employees is an integral part of any security program. SMEs should teach their workers the best cybersecurity guide practices, such as spotting and reporting suspicious behavior. 

SMEs should also teach their workers how to use the security controls and policies that are in place to protect OT systems.

Implementing And Monitoring

SMBs should use tracking and alerts to identify and deal with cyber threats. This includes installing intrusion detection systems (IDS), security information and event management (SIEM) systems, and log tracking. 

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) should also set up automated alerts to inform security staff about suspicious behavior.

OT(Operational Technology)  Vs. IT(Information Technology)

The difference between IT and OT systems is that they focus on data and communication. In contrast, OT is focused on behaviors and outcomes.

IT systems are naturally connected, while OT systems, especially older ones, are often not naturally connected. 

Most control systems are disconnected from each other, making it hard for them to talk or share information. Even equipment with centralized control has often used closed or proprietary communication methods.

Conclusion

Small and medium-sized businesses must use OT cyber security to protect themselves from cyberattacks. SMEs can start by doing a full risk assessment, putting access controls in place, using encryption, and ensuring software and systems are always up to date. 

It's also important to teach workers the best ways to keep OT secure and make plans for what to do in case of a breach. SMEs can also access new technologies and cost-effective solutions by outsourcing to third-party providers who are experts in OT cyber security. 

By making OT cyber security a top priority and taking proactive steps to protect their systems and data, SMEs can reduce cyber danger risks and ensure their businesses will last.