Industrial network visibility & security with Profitap and Scadafence

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The integration of advanced Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) networks, high tech automation, supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA), and physical processes, are some of the main elements characterizing the 4th industrial revolution, better known as the Industry 4.0 or the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). IIoT connects the physical machines and equipment in a factory, smart products, and the whole supply chain to the digital world of cloud, IoT devices, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. Connectivity however opens to vulnerability issues like cyberthreats and operational incidents. The use of Internet Protocols networking in OT systems can open any industrial environment to network attacks, and can create backdoors into organizations’ enterprise IT networks, putting both electronic infrastructures and the information they contain at high risk. Managing these risks is complicated by the differing missions of the two systems, and the fact that most OT network environments and devices are not monitored directly by security personnel. Consequently, the Industrial Control System (ICS) networks are harder to monitor and secure as they’re very diverse, and most of the time, they operate with an increased risk of industrial-specific vulnerabilities.

Common challenges in monitoring and securing OT and IT environments include:

• Achieving real-time network monitoring
• Managing cyber threats effectively
• OT and IoT security in one place
• Detecting networking and operational issues before they cause downtime
• Preventing unplanned downtime due to equipment failure
• Remote access control
• Remote troubleshooting (intermittent) issues on hard to reach locations
• Centralized automated governance of industry regulations for OT & IoT

SCADAfence’s non-intrusive platform for deep packet inspection (DPI) together with Profitap’s network test access points (TAPs) and Network Packet Brokers (NPB) solutions, work together to bring unprecedented network traffic visibility, security, asset inventory management in real-time and compliance to all OT & IoT industry regulations.

By amplifying visibility into OT and IT networks, and through continuous monitoring organizations gain:

• Full control over their industrial environments
• Excellence in network monitoring infrastructures
• Real-time detection of malicious activities
• Significant reduction of cyber risks
• Proactive mitigation

With the traffic access and data flow in order, SCADAfence starts to monitor the OT network activities. With passive DPI analysis and optional active polling, SCADAfence discovers all the assets in the network and their relevant industrial characteristics. The platform completely digitalizes the asset inventory and network communications mapping. In addition, an adaptive baseline is created to capture the current operational behavior of the environment.

Build a visibility architecture with the help of Profitap’s Network Packet Brokers (NPB) to deliver actionable network data to monitoring and security tools.

With the traffic access and data flow in order, SCADAfence starts to monitor the OT network activities. With passive DPI analysis and optional active polling, SCADAfence discovers all the assets in the network and their relevant industrial characteristics. The platform completely digitalizes the asset inventory and network communications mapping. In addition, an adaptive baseline is created to capture the current operational behavior of the environment.

SCADAfence algorithms offer real-time detection of malicious activities and anomalous behavior. This is based on deviations from normal behavioral profiles, rule-based capabilities, signature-based alerts and proprietary threat intelligence, the platform detects abnormal activities that threaten the network. This includes cyber-attacks and non-malicious threats.

Generate a complete asset inventory and advanced network map that visualizes traffic patterns with The SCADAfence Platform. By digitalizing your asset inventory with automatic asset discovery and network mapping, users can replace outdated and manually obtained spreadsheets with updated real-time information about their environment.

The SCADAfence Platform continuously monitors the network architecture for an accurate view of your security posture and insight into real-time events. This enables complete and continuous control over your most critical business assets.

Uncover malware and ransomware that threaten operational continuity. Early detection of threats enables effective response before damage occurs, preventing unplanned operational downtime.

The SCADAfence Governance Portal provides a governance solution portal that enables IT and OT departments to centrally define and monitor their organization’s adherence to OT-related regulations and security policies.

SCADAfence is the global technology leader in OT & IoT cyber security. SCADAfence offers a full suite of industrial cybersecurity products that provides full coverage of large-scale networks, offering best-in-class network monitoring, asset discovery, governance, remote access and IoT device security. A Gartner “Cool Vendor” in 2020, SCADAfence delivers proactive security and visibility to some of the world’s most complex OT networks, including the largest manufacturing facility in Europe. SCADAfence enables organizations in critical infrastructure, manufacturing and building management industries to operate securely, reliably and efficiently. To learn more, visit our website, check out our blog, or follow us on LinkedIn.