OT Cybersecurity Web Portal for Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers

To support digital advancements in manufacturing, connected factory floors break down the traditional barriers that existed between information technology (IT) infrastructure and OT equipment. Most organizations are familiar with more traditional IT cybersecurity practices, but this convergence of IT and OT requires a new level of cyber risk management. Despite a growing awareness of cyber vulnerabilities within OT systems and recent headlines highlighting the impact that a cyberattack can have on an organization, many manufacturers have not implemented proper OT cybersecurity measures.

In the SMM community, resources are usually limited, making it difficult to dedicate time or personnel to navigate the standards landscape and find proper guidance for needed OT cybersecurity measures. The body of OT cybersecurity knowledge is also extensive and can be hard to digest. That has created a need to find a way to leverage cybersecurity knowledge to provide simplified guidance to the manufacturing community.

The project team will create a web portal that will compile highlights of common and more unique aspects of OT cybersecurity standards. A playbook will also be created for SMMs to use when looking to these standards for guidance. These resources will explore the current landscape of OT equipment cybersecurity compliance standards and industry guidelines; identify, summarize, and simplify best practices for SMMs; and, in the playbook, demonstrate these practices.

In the absence of compliance requirements, development of simplified cybersecurity guidance for protecting equipment in an OT environment will provide manufacturers a path to proper OT cybersecurity. This will accelerate adoption of cybersecurity measures, creating a more robust and secure American manufacturing supply chain amid growing cyber threats.