Smart factory advances in manufacturing mean more and more operational technology (OT) devices are connected to the network. Now, more than ever, it is possible to see and monitor the health of OT assets the way you track IT assets.
It is also possible to see the relationships and dependencies between manufacturing and OT assets. This reduces the risk that a patch or modification associated with OT will negatively affect the production environment. Tasks such as patches, for example, can be scheduled at planned downtime periods, if needed.
A unified approach
The opportunity to create a unified view of the IT and OT estate in one place, and a coherent asset management approach, is exciting in a world where IT and OT silos previously led to downtime and introduced risk.
However, IT and OT assets are still different — as are the priorities of the teams that manage them. It’s not as simple as moving best IT asset management practices for OT.
OT assets tend to have a higher demand for reliability and usability than IT assets do — as well as safety and quality concerns that should be prioritized. However, there are many areas where a more unified approach could benefit everyone — especially when it comes to security.
Although manufacturers have established OT security operations centers (SOCs) consistent with how they set up their IT SOCs, many are wary of fully integrating these teams. The skill sets and technical requirements of IT and OT assets can still be unique. However, these groups can be better aligned in three ways.
1. Process
The first step often comes from aligning the IT and OT security team from a process perspective. When both teams follow a consistent workflow — consistent with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) best practices and industry standards — the manufacturer has more consistency in how the incidents, it does not matter if IT or OT is the affected asset.
2. Technology
Next, there is an opportunity to align IT and OT SOC with unified technology. With advances such as the Fujitsu OT Digital Transformation solution, based on ServiceNow Operational Technology Management, it is now possible to have an integrated view of all IT and OT assets — and security endpoints — in one place.
The alignment of IT and OT security technology creates the opportunity to visualize and prioritize security threats across the IT and OT estate — and see how a threat or remediation in one area might affect dependent devices.
3. Personnel
Ultimately, there may also be the potential to align the actual IT and OT security support staff into a unified team (with specialist roles). This true IT and OT convergence can help center both teams on the right priorities: maximizing uptime, quality, safety, and efficiency.
Although IT and OT convergence have long been on the radar, advances in OT asset management have become more critical. Lessons from the long history of IT asset management need to be applied, and adaptations must be made to become OT -relevant to IT asset management practices.
However, both IT and OT can benefit from a more unified approach to security — an area that will only become more critical in an era of hyperconnected manufacturing.
Find out more in our ebook about how ServiceNow and Fujitsu help manufacturers maximize OT uptime.
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