Why OT operators need ICS-specific and contextual Incident Response exercises

With the rise in targeted attacks on OT infrastructure, the threats to IACS systems have grown significantly in the last 5 years. To manage the overall risk that an OT operator is exposed to the operator needs to do the following:

· IEC 62443-based cyber risk assessment focused on OT

· Train employees in OT security

· Implement an OT security and governance policy

· Shrink the threat surface, deploy OT security monitoring

· Run simulated Incident Response drills

While an IEC 62443-based OT risk assessment can be a good place to start, in order to sustain the OT security program and to strengthen it from within, we need to run incident response drills that are contextual. This means that all incident response exercises have to be OT specific and help improve the overall ability of an OT operator to respond to an incident accurately, efficiently and without any comprise on the continuity of business front.

It’s not just about compliance

In an era of escalating geopolitical tensions and increasingly sophisticated cyber-physical attacks, the security of operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) is no longer a peripheral concern for industrial organizations. It is a strategic imperative. The traditional paradigm of cybersecurity, which focused primarily on information technology (IT) systems, is insufficient to protect the critical infrastructure that underpins our global economy. For Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), this shift necessitates a fundamental re-evaluation of their incident response strategies, moving away from generic, IT-centric playbooks toward a model that is contextual, culturally-aligned, and purpose-built for the unique challenges of the industrial environment.

The inadequacy of generic Incident Response for OT

For years, the gold standard for cybersecurity preparedness has been the tabletop exercise (TTX). These exercises, while valuable for validating IT-centric incident response plans, often fail to account for the unique characteristics of OT. OT systems, which control physical processes in sectors ranging from energy and manufacturing to water and transportation, operate on different principles than their IT counterparts. Their priorities are not confidentiality and data integrity, but safety, availability, and reliability.

Generic TTXs often make several critical missteps when applied to OT:

· The orientation is simply towards closing the exercise: The outcome of the effort may not even lead to any improvement in overall OT security posture as the drill may not offer any relevant security-related inputs for the program.  

· They overlook physical consequences: An IT incident may result in data loss or service disruption. An OT incident, however, can lead to equipment damage, environmental disaster, or even loss of life. A generic exercise may test a CISO's ability to restore a server, but it rarely tests an operator's ability to safely shut down a turbine or reroute a pipeline in a cyber-physical crisis.

· They ignore the unique OT stack: OT environments are a complex patchwork of legacy systems, proprietary protocols (e.g., Modbus, DNP3, Profinet), and specialized hardware (e.g., PLCs, RTUs). These components do not behave like standard IT servers or workstations, and their vulnerabilities and remediation pathways are entirely different. A generic exercise based on a standard IT network attack will fail to challenge the specific technical knowledge required to respond to an OT breach.

· They lack the right stakeholders: IT-centric exercises are typically led by the IT security team with OT added as an afterthought. An effective OT response, however, requires the active participation of plant operators, control engineers, and maintenance staff. These individuals possess a deep understanding of the physical processes and are the first line of defense in a cyber-physical incident. Excluding them from the planning and execution of a response is a critical failure.

· They ignore the unique protocols (e.g., Modbus, DNP3) and legacy systems common in OT.

The strategic imperative for OT-specific incident response

To bridge this gap, CISOs must champion the development of OT-specific incident response capabilities. This is not a matter of simply extending IT protocols to the plant floor; it is about building a new, specialized framework that addresses the unique risks and requirements of the industrial world.

Investing in OT-specific incident response is not merely a defensive measure; it is an essential investment in operational resilience and business continuity. A well-designed OT response plan ensures that in the face of a cyber-physical attack, the organization can:

· Ensure Incident Response tailored to your unique infrastructure

· Prioritize safety: The first action in any OT incident should be to ensure the physical safety of personnel and the surrounding environment. This requires predefined procedures for manual overrides, emergency shutdowns, and communication with first responders.

· Maintain operational availability: While an IT team may focus on data recovery, an OT team's primary goal is to maintain or rapidly restore critical industrial processes and ensure continuity of business. This involves having pre-tested contingency plans for manual operation, redundant systems, and detailed procedures for restarting complex production lines.

· Enhance forensic capabilities: OT systems generate a different type of telemetry than IT systems. Effective OT incident response requires the ability to collect and analyze data from PLCs, historians, and other specialized devices to determine the root cause of an incident.

OT incident response essentials

· OT security teams should work towards identifying core ICS Cybersecurity Critical Controls and design the incident response planning around that. These controls can be at the heart of the exercise to ensure the effort stays relevant at all levels to the organisation conducting it

· Dedicate a section to each control, explaining its importance and how a TTX can be designed around it:

· ICS Network Architecture: Simulate a breach that moves from the IT network into the OT network, testing the effectiveness of your segmentation and firewalls and vice-versa.

· ICS Configuration Management: Create a scenario where a critical device's configuration is tampered with, and the team must use backups to restore it.

· ICS Remote Access: Simulate an attack leveraging compromised remote access credentials, and test the response plan for revoking access and securing connections.

· ICS Threat and Vulnerability Management: Present a scenario based on a recently discovered vulnerability in a specific piece of equipment, and have the team prioritize and plan the response.

· Factor in the risks identified during the last round of OT risk and gap assessment 

· ICS Incident Response: Conduct a full-scale exercise that tests the entire incident response lifecycle, from detection and containment to eradication and recovery.

Contextual, infrastructure oriented and culturally-aligned response: the Shieldworkz approach

A truly effective OT incident response plan cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution. It must be contextual and infrastructure oriented, tailored to the specific threats and vulnerabilities of the organization's infrastructure, and aligned to the specific cultural influences of its workforce. This is where the expertise of a specialized partner becomes invaluable.

Contextual Incident Response

Every industrial organization has a unique risk profile based on its industry, technology stack, and geographic footprint. A water treatment facility faces different threats than an automotive manufacturing plant. A contextual approach covers:

· All roles with clear responsibilities to be tested

· Incorporates unique continuity of business threats

· OT-specific threat intelligence: Developing a deep understanding of the threat actors and attack vectors that are most relevant to the organization's sector.

· Asset inventory and risk assessment: Conducting a comprehensive inventory of all OT assets, understanding their interdependencies, and assessing their criticality to operations.

· Scenario planning: Designing incident response scenarios based on plausible, industry-specific threats, such as a denial-of-service attack on a SCADA system or the manipulation of a safety instrumented system.

Cultural alignment

The successful execution of an incident response plan hinges on the collaboration between IT and OT teams. Historically, these two groups have operated in separate silos with different priorities, language, and work cultures. A culturally-aligned approach recognizes and bridges these gaps by:

· Joint training and exercises: Bringing IT and OT teams together to train, communicate, and solve problems in a controlled, low-pressure environment. This builds trust and shared understanding.

· Clear roles and responsibilities: Defining a clear command structure and communication plan that specifies who is responsible for what, from the CISO down to the shift supervisor on the plant floor.

· Leveraging existing workflows: Integrating incident response procedures into existing operational workflows and safety protocols, rather than imposing an entirely new, alien process on the OT team.

Working with a firm like Shieldworkz can help address these issues by providing the specialized expertise and structured framework necessary to develop these contextual and culturally-aligned capabilities. Shieldworkz understands that an effective OT security program is not just about technology; it's about people, process, and culture. They can facilitate the difficult but necessary conversations between IT and OT, helping to build a unified and resilient front against cyber-physical threats.

Building a resilient foundation: a strategic roadmap

For a CISO looking to mature their organization's OT security posture, the path forward involves a series of strategic steps:

· Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment: Begin with a detailed analysis of your OT environment to identify critical assets, vulnerabilities, and potential attack vectors. Use this data to build the response scenarios

· Develop an Integrated Response plan: Create a specific, actionable incident response plan that integrates IT and OT procedures. This plan should prioritize safety and operational continuity above all else.

· Engage in Purpose-Built TTXs: Conduct regular, realistic tabletop exercises that are specifically designed to test your OT response plan. Involve a wide range of stakeholders, from executives to on-the-ground operators.

· Foster a culture of collaboration: Champion a collaborative environment where IT and OT teams can learn from each other and work together seamlessly to secure the organization.

The convergence of IT and OT presents both a challenge and an opportunity. While it introduces new threat surfaces for cyberattacks, it also provides the chance to build a more integrated, resilient, and secure operational framework. The era of generic cybersecurity is over. For CISOs in industrial sectors, the mandate is clear: invest in incident response that is contextual, culturally-aligned, and purpose-built for the industrial environment. By taking this proactive, strategic approach, organizations can not only protect their critical infrastructure from a growing range of threats but also fortify their position as leaders in a secure and resilient global economy.

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