Today with ISSSource Gregory Hale

Managed security services. Years ago, the mere thought of an outside organization watching over a manufacturing enterprise and ensuring the site was free and clear and not under attack would have been considered outrageous. Throw in increased connectivity and a shortage of cybersecurity talent and managed security services is a cost-effective way to secure your site.

There is no doubt the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack was a watershed incident for the oil and gas sector.
As a result, the Transportation Security Administration released a prescriptive set of regulations for owners and operators of pipelines and LNG facilities which were very rigid. Then in July last year, after great consternation from the industry, a more flexible set of regulations released and now this July, another set of regulations released.
Just what is the impact of the TSA Pipeline Security Directive on the Oil & Gas sector.

Manufacturing’s mantra these days is everyone needs to keep the process moving – and that means security can’t get in the way. But at the same time, you want to make sure you keep the bad guys out. No easy task. Add on top of that, an expanding attack surface due to digitalization and a lack of qualified security professionals available and you have the potential for the classic low hanging fruit for attackers. That is exactly where managed security services comes in.

There is no doubt attacks are becoming more targeted and more sophisticated toward OT, which means companies need to think how they can find an attack and remain as resilient as possible so they can keep operating. This way you don’t have to hear a company say they had to “shut down operations out of an abundance of caution.”

Today, attackers learn from infiltrating systems and glean as much knowledge and capabilities as possible to where they may know the system they are attacking better than the victim. However, with the right technology and the right people behind that technology, it is possible to see an attack either happening or about to happen – and then be able to stop it.

Clean energy is the mandate for all companies in all sectors across the globe. And that means the transition to greener and cleaner energy sources is at the forefront of manufacturers’ discussions these days. What does that energy transition mean for safety professionals? Well, the safety end result will not differ, but the safety component that goes into producing the energy to produce the end product is going to change.