The OT environment contains software and hardware that play a central role in the management of a business. They can help control physical devices and assets to ensure a streamlined workflow. There are digital tools that connect devices in this environment.

Investing in OT security is vital to ensure you are always proactive and vigilant. But investing in the best security systems might not be enough. You also need to follow certain best practices to get the best results. This post will look deeper into the best practices to implement.

Let's look at the best cybersecurity practices that will help secure your OT environment.

Cybersecurity Best Practices to Protect Your OT Systems

The physical devices and assets on your network can only get secured by implementing OT cyber security. Combining the right systems and the best practices we'll discuss below will make it easy to get the desired results. This is to ensure your OT environment doesn't get breached.

Here are the best cybersecurity practices everyone at your organization should know:

1. Raise Cybersecurity Awareness

Cyber security training is vital for anyone looking to secure their networks. You need to invest in training your employees about the best practices to implement when looking to secure your network. The training should answer questions like, "what is OT cyber security?"

Then it should go to more advanced cyber security topics such as social engineering and OT malware. It would be best if you also had a competent cyber security team to help you watch over your OT environment. Then ensure you make their cyber security mandate clear and a priority.

2. Develop an OT Cybersecurity Program

The other best practice is to develop a program to help curb security issues in your firm's OT environment. You will need to implement many factors when creating such a program. You can find a detailed OT cybersecurity online guide to help you through the steps.

A good guide should also list the things to keep in mind when developing such a program. It will help to include multi-factor authentication, physical security, and forensic tools. Also, ensure the program has post-infection detection, patching, and malware protection for better results.

3. Control Identity and Access Management

You need to control access to your company's OT systems. Allowing everyone free access to the systems might put you at significant risk. It will make it tricky to know if a breach is ongoing and people access sensitive parts of your network. That will leave your business exposed.

You should invest in robust identity management systems. This will ensure you know who's accessing your network and at what time. Then, educate your employees about accessing certain areas of your network. You can provide access privileges but ensure you revoke them after the task is done

4. Protect Your Sensitive Data

You can never trust anyone with sensitive data. Cybercriminals always pose as people who mean good to you. Thus, you need to ensure you keep an eye on everyone. One of the best ways to do this is by monitoring your network 24/7 using different security tools.

Also, you need to keep a keen eye on privileged users accessing your network. Ensure they do not interfere with data that they don't need. In addition, you should monitor third-party access to your network. Data backups are also vital, and many businesses have prioritized them.

5. Have an Incident Response Plan

Operating a business without an incident response plan is a risky idea. Your business can be at significant risk if you don't have a plan on how to respond to breaches whenever they arise. Creating an incident response plan with your key OT cyber security personnel would be best.

It would help if you didn't assume that your systems are impenetrable. No amount of security can make your network immune from attacks. You must include various things in the incidence response plan you create. This includes OT vendor contacts and tabletop cyberattack exercises.

Also, it would be best to verify that backups are protected and functional. This will give you hope that not all data would be  lost in case of a breach. Lastly, ensure that you have a safety plan to follow when responding to a violation on your OT systems.

6. Detect Suspicious Activities

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It is essential to be able to detect suspicious activities. It can be tricky to stop a breach from happening if it is already underway. However it will be easier to prevent a potential breach if cybercriminals haven't penetrated your systems. That's why detection is an essential step.

The best way to do this is by investing in a security information and event management (SIEM) system. This system keeps a keen eye on all the activities in your OT environment. You can also use it to learn and be familiar with your systems' potential threats and risks.

7. Build a Robust Cybersecurity Policy

You also need to develop a cybersecurity policy for your organization. A hierarchical cybersecurity policy should cover every department in your organization. Also, you should ensure proper management of your IoT devices by following the best practices for IoT device security.

Regular cybersecurity audits can also be worth considering. Ensure you take your time to set up a quality audit. It can help you identify cyber criminals, do forensic investigations, and prevent further security threats. Last but not least, you should consider deploying a manageable number of security tools.

You Can Now Implement the Best OT Cybersecurity Practices

Securing the OT environment should be a top priority for any business. You cannot go wrong with it if you have the right systems and know the best practices to follow. This article has explored some of the best cyber security practices to help you secure your firm's OT systems.

You now know the best ways to ensure the safety of your network. That said, it is worth noting that you won't be safe if the rest of your team doesn't stick to these practices. Thus, it would be best to start by creating awareness and ensuring that every team member understands these practices.