If your company is on a path of digital transformation, you should know that industrial cybersecurity is a critical asset to manage.
In this article, we explain, in a clear and accessible way, how to implement industrial cybersecurity in your company, what you should consider, and the role solutions like Kartos by Enthec can play in helping you.
Suppose you’re looking for a tool that continuously manages threat exposure in industrial environments. In that case, it’s worth considering Kartos,. a continuous monitoring solution designed for organizations that lets you monitor, assess, and respond to cybersecurity risks on an ongoing basis.
Why is industrial cybersecurity critical now?
The adoption of technologies characteristic of the “fourth industrial revolution” (also known as Industry 4.0) is expanding the scope and complexity of risks in industrial environments.
For example, many companies in the industrial sector are integrating previously unconnected control systems, robots, and IoT sensors, thereby expanding the attack surface.
In this context, implementing a robust cybersecurity strategy for Industry 4.0 is no longer only about protecting data, but also about safeguarding critical operational processes, controlling physical and digital risks, and ensuring business continuity.
You might be interested in→ IoT and cybersecurity: Risks and strategies to protect connected devices.
Step 1: Diagnosis and awareness
Before taking action, you need to understand the situation. This first step involves analyzing your company’s current state, identifying vulnerabilities, and building a knowledge base to support a solid strategy. Without a precise diagnosis, any action will be incomplete or ineffective.
Initial assessment
The first thing you need to do is understand your company’s current state regarding industrial cybersecurity.. This implies:
- Map assets: machinery, control systems, OT (operational technology) networks, IoT devices.
- Identify connections within the IT environment (information technology) and OT.
- Knowing which protocols, standards, and policies already exist (for example, is your company aligned with the ISA/IEC 62443 standard for industrial control systems?).
- Evaluate the safety culture: What do employees know, what practices are followed, what training is available?
Raising awareness
Technology is not enough if people don’t know what they are doing or what risks they face. Here, training and awareness remain key for Industry 4.0 cybersecurity.
Step 2: Defining a strategy adapted to the industrial environment
Once you understand your weaknesses and your organization’s maturity level, it’s time to define a coherent strategy. This lays the foundation for industrial cybersecurity, guiding technical, human, and operational decisions.
Governance and roles
Your company must determine who is responsible for cybersecurity:IT, OT, security, and production teams. A clear governance structure facilitates the integration of industrial cybersecurity into daily operations.
Policies, standards, and controls
Define internal policies that:
- Segregate IT and OT networks or establish adequate security perimeters.
- Review and update industrial hardware and software.
- Monitor the entire network: connected devices, anomalous traffic, access controls, etc.
Continuous defense strategy
This is where the concept of CTEM (Continuous Threat Exposure Management) comes in. A single assessment is not enough: Risks change, vulnerabilities emerge, attackers evolve.. Solutions such as Kartos by Enthec enable continuous monitoring, tailored for industrial environments, to detect, assess, and respond dynamically.
Implementing industrial cybersecurity with this philosophy implies a change of mindset: from reacting to incidents to anticipating them.
Step 3: Technical Implementation. Best practices for cybersecurity in Industry 4.0
Now comes the practical part. It’s time to implement the technical measures that bring the strategy to life. Here, theory becomes concrete action: segmenting networks, controlling access, monitoring, protecting, and responding.
Network segmentation and isolation
In an industrial environment, it’s common to have control networks (e.g., SCADA and PLCs), production networks, and administrative networks. You must segment to limit damage in case of an attack.. This measure appears among the most recommended in Industry 4.0 studies.
Updates and patches
One of the most frequent intrusion vectors is legacy or outdated systems.. Industrial cybersecurity requires regularly reviewing industrial equipment (sensors, controllers, gateways) and implementing proactive security measures.
Threat monitoring and detection
Here again, continuous monitoring is key. Thanks to CTEM systems like Kartos, you can monitor anomalies, events, unusual access, and OT device behavior.
Identity and access management
Limit who can access which system.. This includes privileged access management, strong authentication, activity logging, and deletion of inactive accounts. In Industry 4.0, with an ever-increasing number of connected devices, this aspect becomes critical.
Incident response
Have a plan: What should be done if a device is compromised? How should a segment be isolated? How should operations be restored? As noted, many facilities still lack an adequate response plan.
Step 4: Practical cases and examples in cybersecurity of Industry 4.0
- A manufacturing plant that has deployed IoT sensors to monitor machinery conditions can be exposed if those sensors are not on a segmented network or under constant supervision; an attacker could access the control network and alter parameters.
- Another example: the convergence of IT and OT without security coordination, which can result in administrative access (from IT) granting unauthorized access to OT systems. This lack of synchronization between IT and OT is a key risk.
- Also, facilities that lack continuous monitoring of OT traffic and have not assessed emerging vulnerabilities. According to recent studies, industry protection must evolve toward a multi-layered, continuous, and adaptive approach.
Step 5: How to integrate a solution like Kartos into your plan
The Kartos tool from Enthec enables you to implement a continuous threat monitoring system tailored to the industrial environment. Here are some key points on how it fits in:
- Visualizing the risk landscape: Kartos groups incidents, vulnerabilities, and connected devices, enabling you to gain a global view of your company’s exposure.
- Active monitoring: not only specific analyses, but constant monitoring of behaviors, early warnings, and response capacity.
- Recommendations and prioritization of actions: In the face of multiple vulnerabilities, Kartos helps prioritize based on operational impact and real risk.
- Integration with your industrial cybersecurity strategy: relying on defined processes, policies, and training, Kartos becomes an ally, not only a tool.
If your company works with industrial systems, control networks, connected sensors, and automated machinery, a solution like Kartos enables you to shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to industrial cybersecurity.
Step 6: Measurement, review, and continuous improvement
Industrial cybersecurity is not a finish line, but a process of continuous improvement. You must establish indicators (for example: number of vulnerabilities detected, average response time, percentage of segmented devices, number of OT incidents detected), review them periodically, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Furthermore, production environments are changing (new devices, new interconnections, new suppliers), and therefore, Industry 4.0 cybersecurity requires updated plans and controls.. Adapting to a rapidly evolving threat landscape is becoming increasingly important.
Implementing industrial cybersecurity in your company is a challenge, but also a great opportunity: an opportunity to strengthen your operations, protect your assets, ensure continuity, and trust that digitalization will not expose you to preventable attacks.
To do it successfully:
- Start with the diagnosis and awareness.
- Define a clear strategy with governance, policies, and continuous monitoring.
- Apply specific good technical practices: segmentation, updates, monitoring, controlled access, and incident response.
- Integrate tools adapted to the industrial environment.
- Establish a continuous cycle of measurement, review, and improvement.
The transformation to Industry 4.0 opens many doors, but it also demands that cybersecurity be an integral part of the process.. In Enthec, we are prepared to help you take this step with confidence and vision.
Would you like us to design an industrial cybersecurity plan tailored to your company? Contact our team. Let’s begin today.
