Why do we see frequent attacks on the OT/IoT environment?
To unearth the truth regarding why IoT and OT are being attacked more now, let us understand the underlying cause that has left systems more vulnerable and attack-prone.
Diminishing airgap
A disconnected network is a type of network security that was leveraged in organizations in the past. This type of disconnected network is called an airgapped network.
An airgap was never a complete security solution, but network segmentation did pose a few challenges to the attacker.
OT networks were never completely airgapped. A vendor connecting their laptop to an OT network with a dongle connected to it for internet access. Remotely upgrading Industrial Control Systems (ICS) or remote firmware was all happening without knowing about these malpractices. IT/OT convergence increased the attack surface drastically and opened a new attack path.
Fully automated plants further encouraged businesses to utilize AI and ML to further...
