Driving OT Expertise with Commercial Innovation: Making America’s Power Industry Smarter and Safer

Today’s power industry is faced with new cybersecurity risks, constant change, and the merging of technologies, software, people, and systems. So, what is the way forward, and is it manageable?

According to ABS Consulting at the CEATI Strategy and Innovation Conference 2024, the answer lies in focusing more sharply on leveraging security resources for Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control System (ICS) environments.  

“The emerging risks across critical infrastructure and business operating systems are escalating as companies work quickly to solve complex risk-based problems against a new breed of ‘threat actors’ that are impacting the way organizations operate and the systems they use,” says Kyle Hartner, Principal Consultant, at ABS Consulting.

OT, ICT, and cybersecurity developments will likely play a critical role in the next chapter of America’s power industry. In support of this, ABS Consulting is presenting at the CEATI Strategy and Innovation Conference 2024 on OT/ICS architecture challenges and solutions: 

ABS Consulting is using its risk expertise across interconnected knowledge networks to support operators in the power industry by helping them determine how to better secure their client’s OT and ICS environments. 

“The reality is that most OT/ICS environments prioritize availability over security,” says Hartner. “These systems often have exploitable pivot points. Additionally, the need to balance ease of use and corporate access to facilitate operations can leave control systems vulnerable.” 

ABS Consulting is helping its clients transition to new ways of thinking about OT/ICS architecture and cybersecurity to address complex risk-based challenges effectively. 

“Operators need to have the confidence in tomorrow’s innovations, which harness the power of data and technology to drive efficiency and value,” says Hartner. “The industry is beginning to recognize that excellence through improved risk management, combined with the use of digital and technical innovation, can lead to efficiency gains, increase operational performance, and a better understanding of how to manage risk. However, there is more work to be done—a key message from ABS Consulting at the CEATI event in Minneapolis.” 

In this session, ABS Consulting will explore common mistakes and pitfalls in current OT/ICS architectures.  We will discuss strategies to help optimize the use of internal resources while maintaining an operational focus. The discussion will include practical architectural considerations and how to better manage the separation of duties and the impact on team structure. Attendees will hear why a lack of proper monitoring and visibility can often pose a greater risk than even the proper separation of duties. 

“While OT/ICS systems can remain stand-alone, the practical reality of maintaining these systems and the workforce needed to secure them means that most organizations will have to address pressure for some centralization of functions and duties. Understanding where and how risks will occur is critical to maintaining the independent operation and security of your facility,” says Hartner. “However, a company’s OT/ICS environment does not need to stand on its own. Through clever integration you can ease the security burden while reducing your overall attack surface.” 

ABS Consulting will lead discussions at CEATI Strategy and Innovation Conference from 14-15 May 2024. Meet the experts at Booth 102 or go online at www.ceati.com for more information.

For pre-event or post-event interviews with ABS Consulting, please contact Jason Knights at jason@knightsmpr.com.

About ABS Group

ABS Group of Companies, Inc. (www.abs-group.com), through its operating subsidiaries, provides technical advisory and certification services to support the safety and reliability of high-performance assets and operations in the oil, gas and chemical, power generation, marine, offshore and government sectors, among others. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, ABS Group operates with more than 1,000 professionals globally. ABS Group is a subsidiary of ABS (www.eagle.org), a leading marine and offshore classification society.