A cybersecurity fundamental is that you can't protect what you don't know. This concept aligns with the "Identify" and "Protect" functions of the NIST cybersecurity framework. Traditionally, the operational technology (OT) side of cybersecurity has faced unique challenges in understanding, inventorying, and monitoring their cyber assets. We've refined techniques and methods for collecting OT asset data and important cyber information that respect the operational and safety needs of critical infrastructures. Now that we're able to build these comprehensive pictures, it's also important to recognize the importance of maintaining historical data.
Centralizing comprehensive data about the OT environment, and keeping historical records of that data, is fundamental to enabling and increasing efficiencies in OT security and compliance. Automated solutions like Industrial Defender streamline the process of monitoring device configurations within OT environments. This automation not only ensures that current configurations are up-to-date but also preserves a historical record of these configurations. This historical function serves multiple critical purposes for security, operations, and compliance.
Firstly, regulatory compliance often mandates the retention of historical data. For example, standards such as NERC CIP (Critical Infrastructure Protection) specify the necessity to identify and document changes over time, such as modifications to the ports on Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs). Without historical data, pinpointing these changes within a specified period, say the last 35 days, can be challenging. Furthermore, regulations may require the retention of data for extended periods, such as three years, to facilitate retrospective analyses and evidence generation during audits.
The strategic value of historical data extends beyond compliance. By maintaining a record of past configurations and operations, organizations can observe trends and shifts within their OT infrastructure. This historical perspective is vital for understanding the evolution of the operational environment and identifying potential vulnerabilities or operational inefficiencies before they escalate into more significant issues.
Moreover, Industrial Defender doesn't limit its data retention to the minimum regulatory requirements. It offers flexibility in how long data is kept, whether that be three, five, or even seven years, providing a customizable "sliding window" of historical data. This capability is a fundamental feature of the solution, enhancing the ability to revert systems to a known good state as part of remediation efforts. For instance, if a system needs to be restored, having detailed records of its configuration two weeks prior, when everything was functioning correctly, can be invaluable.
The depth and accessibility of historical data also streamline the audit process. With robust reporting tools that leverage unalterable historical records, organizations can quickly produce the necessary evidence to satisfy audit requirements under frameworks like NERC CIP, NIST CSF, or IEC 62443. This not only speeds up the audit process but also reduces the manual effort historically associated with audit preparation.
To learn more about automating comprehensive OT asset data management, including historical records, check out our platform here: https://www.industrialdefender.com/ot-cyber-risk-management
