How Network Segmentation Improves Operational Security For Pipelines

摘要

Network segmentation is a fundamental component of cybersecurity, yet it is so difficult to implement in a gas and pipeline environment. There is flawed thinking in part due to an industry-wide focus on perimeter security, a carryover from the days of air gap protection. As industrial systems continue to evolve and pipelines become more distributed, there are more requirements for greater connectivity between internal systems within the distributed environment. As a result, more traffic must be allowed through the perimeter, and if perimeter access isn't denied outright, it isn't really a gap. A more flexible approach is required. The flaw is that the term "perimeter" implies one big shell around an entire system, within which there are many devices in many zones, with different security levels and conduits, all unmanaged. In other words, the traditional definition of perimeter security does not mean the same level of granular access controls that a properly enforced conduit provides.