The Internet of Things loT and Security : A Practical Strategy to Secure an OT and IT Integrated Process Control Domain

摘要

The use of digital technology in Oil & Gas has continued to grow over the last few decades, both in the operational domain, and in delivering business insight to the enterprise. But advances in digital infrastructure and communications, and the applications and technologies enabled by them, are coming at speeds and scale that is unprecedented. With lowered oil prices and increased competition, the drive for optimization, efficiency and automation is key for many organisations in the industry. A 2015 IDC report [1] predicted 80% will re-engineer processes and systems to enable process optimization, to manage risk, and to efficiently and safely deliver oil and gas by the end of 2017. While technology is a key enabler to achieve these needs, it can also be a potential risk for increased cybersecurity threats. In particular big data, cloud compute and the Internet of Things (IoT) use cases mean connectivity of previously unconnected assets, the addition of new instrumentation and sensors, and the blurring of lines between operational and enterprise ownership of the data produced. The result is a plethora of additional attack options that need to be addressed. This means it is no longer just about leveraging architectural standards and associated technologies to fulfil security needs. There must be a fundamental requirement for Operational Technology (OT) and enterprise Information Technology (IT) teams to more closely align and bring together architecture, technology, people and process to most effectively address risk management and compliance needs.