An OT VA is a systematic process employed to identify, evaluate, and prioritize vulnerabilities within your OT environment, specifically Industrial Control Systems (ICS).  It's a critical component of a robust OT security strategy, ensuring the safety, reliability, and availability of control systems. Unlike IT VAs focused on data breaches, OT VAs prioritize the uninterrupted operation of critical infrastructure.

The increasing interconnectedness and software reliance of OT systems make them more vulnerable to cyberattacks.  An OT VA empowers you to:

• Proactively Mitigate Risk: Identify and address vulnerabilities before exploitation, preventing costly downtime, safety incidents, and potential environmental damage.
• Prioritize Remediation Efforts: Categorize vulnerabilities based on severity and potential impact, allowing for focused resource allocation towards the most critical issues.
• Develop a Risk Management Plan: Leverage VA findings to create a plan outlining strategies to address vulnerabilities, minimize risks, and bolster OT security.
• Ensure Regulatory Compliance: Many industries have regulations mandating regular OT security assessments.

While both assessments identify weaknesses, key differences exist:

• Focus: IT VAs prioritize data confidentiality and integrity, while OT VAs prioritize the safety, reliability, and availability of industrial control systems.
• Scanning Techniques: IT environments tolerate aggressive scanning tools. OT assessments may employ non-intrusive or passive techniques to minimize operational disruption.
• Patch Management: Patching in OT environments can be complex due to potential process impact. OT VAs consider alternative mitigation strategies until patching becomes feasible.

A comprehensive OT VA typically involves these stages:

• Planning and Scoping: Define the assessment's goals, scope, and methodology.
• Asset Discovery and Inventory: Identify and document all hardware and software components within the OT environment.
• Vulnerability Identification: Utilize tools and techniques to identify potential vulnerabilities in devices and configurations.
• Vulnerability Analysis: Assess the severity and potential impact of each identified vulnerability.
• Risk Prioritization: Prioritize vulnerabilities based on a combination of severity, exploitability, and potential impact.
• Reporting and Recommendations: Document the findings, including a risk matrix, and provide recommendations for mitigating vulnerabilities.

Frequency of OT Vulnerability Assessments:

• Annual Assessments: A baseline for most organizations, considering evolving threats and changes in the OT environment.
• More Frequent Assessments (e.g., semi-annually or quarterly): For critical processes, internet-connected systems, or highly regulated industries.
• Less Frequent Assessments (e.g., every other year): For low-risk OT environments with limited internet connectivity.