Australian businesses covered by the critical infrastructure act may soon be subject to new governance assistance measures, should a recommendation by the Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security be adopted.

The recommendation put forth relates to splitting the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill into two; Bill One to be passed urgently (as early as December 2021), and Bill Two will continue development for less urgent directives.

If the recommendations are implemented and Bill One passed, the government will have the power to:

1. Amend and widen the scope for entities covered by the Act;
2. Authorise the ASD to intervene during or post cyber-attack and direct entities to act, gather information, and install forensic software; and
3. Impose obligations for entities to notify authorities following cybersecurity incidents.

Businesses classified as “critical infrastructure” may therefore be required to accelerate their cyber security plans and implement digital forensics, auditing, and reporting. Bill Two will include further requirements regarding risk management, with particular focus on cyber security, personnel security, physical security, and supply chain security.

Some of the key technologies and solutions we will see implemented across our operational infrastructure include:

• intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS and IPS);
• dynamic network segmentation;
• end-to-end encryption;
• access control; and
• integrity management.

Does your industrial cyber security management plan include any of these tools? If so, there exist a number of strategies you could implement to reduce your overall technology cost.

One example is to exploit RSPAN functionality. Passive intrusion detection systems such as those from Tripwire Industrial Sentinel, Claroty or Nozomi rely on ‘sensors’ to ingest and analyse SPAN data. These sensors need to be strategically placed within the network to ensure the best security coverage. Using switches that support RSPAN (such as the Hirschmann RSP and GRS range), allows the security architect to reduce the number of sensors, which in turn reduces capital expenditure and the operational cost for IDS licensing. The savings that could be released may justify upgrading the network switches.

Secondly, when upgrading an OT network, consider the cost of downtime. There may only be a single network upgrade opportunity in ten years or more, therefore it's important to consider future functionality that will maximise OT resilience ahead of time. Ask yourself questions; will you ever utilise dynamic segmentation to isolate your OT network when a threat is detected; or will time-synchronisation and predictable wire-speed transmission become critical as you optimise your processes? These and other questions highlight that modern OT networks are still very different to IT networks. Be sure to partner with a hardware manufacturer who implements the cyber security functionality you need, and a vendor who supports your journey in the OT environment.

Lastly, don't be afraid to ask questions and give our team a call at IPD. As a long-term provider of industrial control systems and communications solutions, Control Logic which is now an IPD business has decades of experience with industrial control system environments. Through our solid partnership with Belden, we represent Hirschmann, Tofino, and Tripwire Industrial, thus we have developed an OT-centric portfolio of cyber security solutions, training courses, and services to help our clients succeed and comply with cyber security frameworks.

Who is HIRSCHMANN?

Headquartered in Germany,

Hirschmann is the world’s largest industrial IT manufacturer, known for their invention of the first fibre optic Ethernet network in 1984 and redundant ring topologies in 1990. Hirschmann manufacture industrial switches, routers, firewalls, and cybersecurity appliances for major DCS and SCADA providers including ABB, Emerson, Schneider Electric, and Yokogawa to name a few. Long considered a staple brand in the resources, transport, and manufacturing markets, Hirschmann continues to innovate for renewable energy, water/wastewater and defense projects. Hirschmann recognises that reliable OT networks minimise downtime and save money. Their operational design life is unparalleled and their free lifetime technical support is provided by local partners, along with pre-sales design support to mitigate OT design risk.