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causing the uranium centrifuges to
destroy themselves. The Stuxnet
malware was originally introduced
into the air-gapped OT environment
via a USB drive that contained the
malicious code. After the malware
was installed, it replicated itself, as
it identified programmable logic controllers
(PLCs) responsible for managing
centrifuges. The malware then
directed the centrifuges, without the
knowledge of the plant operators, to
spin rapidly until they failed [9].
PAN, in their 2024 State of OT
FIGURE 2. Chemical facilities are among the CISA-designated critical infrastructure sites that have been
targeted by cyber threat actors
departed director of CISA, Jen Easterly,
told Wired magazine that " Everybody
should assume that our
adversaries, in particular China, are
attempting to go after our critical infrastructure.
The private sector, they
are on the front lines of this fight, because
they own and operate the vast
majority of our critical infrastructure.
It's why companies need to put collaboration
over self-preservation " [5].
IT-OT convergence benefits
The fusion of IT and OT systems is
driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution
( " Industry 4.0 " ), characterized
by innovations like the internet of
things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI),
and big-data analytics [7]. IT-OT integration
enables organizations to
gain real-time insights into operations,
improve decision-making and
optimize performance.
In the manufacturing sector, sensors
in OT systems collect data on
machine performance, which are
then analyzed by IT systems to predict
maintenance needs and minimize
downtime. In the energy sector,
smart grids leverage IT-OT integration
to optimize energy distribution and
manage renewable energy sources
efficiently. In the chemical sector,
IT-OT convergence can provide realtime
data on equipment conditions,
empowering companies to proactively
identify and mitigate potential
safety hazards.
These advancements, if correctly
implemented, enhance productivity
and also reduce costs and environmental
impacts for organizations.
For these reasons and more, IT-OT
convergence can be a business enabler
that will provide for more efficient
business operations.
Unfortunately, as IT and OT networks
become more interconnected,
the cyber threat landscape
will continue to evolve in complexity
and the risk exposure will expand
exponentially. Despite this, there are
actions that can be taken by organizations
to reduce the threat, through
a combination of people, processes
and technology.
Proliferating attack surface
Historically, OT systems were isolated
from IT networks, relying on
a concept known as " air-gap " for
security. Air-gap refers to the physical
isolation of systems and was
commonly used to protect sensitive
OT systems from the less sensitive
IT infrastructure. An air-gapped environment
can defend OT systems
from cyber threats that may enter
from the IT environment and their
attendant risk exposure since they
are not connected [8]. However,
IT-OT convergence dismantles this
isolation, exposing OT systems to
the vulnerabilities inherent in IT networks.
As a result, the potential attack
surface from cyber threat actors
on OT systems has increased
significantly for organizations.
Even an air-gapped environment
does not mean that an OT network
is completely protected from threat
actors. The 2015 Stuxnet malware
attack is a perfect example of how
air-gapped networks can be compromised.
In that attack, malware
was used to compromise and destroy
the Islamic Republic of Iran's
uranium enrichment program by
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MARCH 2025
report, surveyed close to 2,000 respondents
across the globe and
noted that " more than 76% of respondents
stated that their organizations
had experienced a cyberattack
in their OT environment " [10].
Factors that can contribute to the
expanding attack surface for possible
cybersecurity attacks on OT
networks include, but are not limited
to, the following:
Legacy systems. Many OT systems
are decades old and were not designed
with cybersecurity requirements
in mind. In some cases, the
company that built the OT systems
no longer exist, so no updates or
technical support are available. In
addition, legacy systems often lack
encryption, authentication and other
basic security features.
IoT (internet of things) proliferation.
The widespread adoption of
IoT devices introduces numerous
endpoints that can be exploited by
attackers. IoT devices, by their very
nature, are designed to be connected
to the Internet. Many IoT
devices have weak or non-existent
security protocols. These devices
provide threat actors with additional
items that can be compromised if not
managed and configured for security.
Remote access. IT-OT integration
often requires remote access for
monitoring and management, which
can become a gateway for cyberattacks
if not properly secured.
Statistics
are very clear that remote access
attack vectors are one of the
top methods used by threat actors
to access an organization. A leading
cybersecurity firm, Crowdstrike (Austin,
Texas; www.crowdstrike.com)
stated in its 2024 Threat Hunting Report
that it observed a 70% increase
29

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