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PREDICTIVE
INTELLIGENCE
Blending these two groups together and
establishing a harmonious workforce isn’t
easy but it can be done if those involved are
willing to embrace a new, third way of thinking.
designed for pristine environments can
be affected simply by being scanned.
But as the network expands and
becomes more connected, it’s also
increasingly important to keep tabs
on what’s going on – and increasingly
difficult to stay on top of it all.
OT threat reports by Fortinet indicate
that threat actors target both IT and
OT systems using the same malware,
banking on the fact that OT systems
often use older technology to ensure a
higher success rate.
Dynamic, intelligent processing solutions
like Next-Generation Firewalls, secure
access and Network Access Control,
combined with OT-specific protocols,
can be combined to create a Zero Trust
network access strategy to ensure
accurate control of network traffic
combined with high visibility across
the new converged team’s operations,
allowing easy and centralised
management of complex systems.
There’s a wide range of additional tools
available to give any team 360-degree
protection from cyberattacks, from
sandboxing to two-factor authentication.
These are essential weapons against
intrusions, such as automated malware
that would be otherwise free to roam the
expanded network in search of sensitive
data to steal.
Do it right – do it once
Adopting a ‘safety first’ stance may
be more time-intensive but rushing
convergence will only lead to problems
down the line. Making the effort to
prioritise security at the start will ensure
these new converged teams against future
disasters without impacting end-users.
Looking at the bigger picture and
embracing a structured and tightly
integrated cybersecurity platform can
also help to reduce the inevitable
complexity of the process, while
continuously confirming that newly
deployed systems are aligned with
industry standards and frameworks.
With a combination of a converged
vision and the right tools, any business
or industry can reap the rewards of IT/
OT convergence. It’s simply a matter of
working together. It’s not always easy but
it is worth it. u
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