SOC for industry? A solution tailored to our times
Since 2019, operations in the manufacturing sector have been under the pressure of supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic, followed by the armed conflict in Ukraine. The latter factor impacts corporate risk in another, less obvious way.
The war across the eastern border has significantly influenced cybercriminal activity. New threats are emerging that can immobilize production lines in entire factories within a short period.
The industrial revolution has led to a situation where factories are becoming intelligent ecosystems. Devices, machines, robots, and systems communicate with each other and analyze data in real-time. Halting a factory operating according to the principles of Industry 4.0 is relatively simple. It is made possible by blocking the software that controls these processes.
Losses amounting to millions caused by hacker attacks can be a painful blow, which is why threat awareness is now widespread. This is precisely why the protection of IT infrastructure and security measures is no longer treated as the least important expense on the list that can be skipped. Investments in the area of industrial infrastructure security are gaining momentum, especially in the context of NIS2, which has already entered into force and is merely awaiting Polish regulations to govern its implementation within our country.
Constant situational analysis: The foundation of effective protection against cyberthreats
One cannot speak of effective IT infrastructure security for industrial facilities without constant situational analysis. This requires appropriate systems that analyze all events in real-time and identify anomalies, but also a properly trained team capable of interpreting the received data and implementing security procedures.
We are observing a shortage of cybersecurity specialists in the labor market, which complicates building an internal department structure responsible for monitoring and significantly increases its costs.
The solution is to outsource these measures to an external Security Operations Center (SOC). Entities providing these types of services are responsible for monitoring and managing IT security within an organization according to a defined scope and timeframe.
SOC for industry: How does it work?
24/7/365 Protection: In its full variant, SOC operations run around the clock, 365 days a year, ensuring uninterrupted protection against threats. As a result, company assets are protected even when most employees are out of the office.
Advanced Detection: SOC possesses advanced tools and technologies to detect attacks. It analyzes the situation based on log-collection tools, allowing it to see any network irregularities immediately and react to potential threats before they can spread.
Scalability for Industry 4.0: Industrial production in the era of Industry 4.0 generates massive amounts of data. Thanks to advanced software, a SOC for industry is able to effectively scale its operations to meet the IT needs of the largest organizations.
Remote Monitoring: Additionally, SOC for industry enables remote monitoring, which is particularly important in the industrial sector where systems may be dispersed across multiple locations.
Cost Efficiency: By centralizing the situational analysis of the IT infrastructure and networks of many organizations into one center, SOC outsourcing allows for the efficient use of resources and funds, resulting in significant savings.
Implementation of NIS2 into the Polish legal system
Since January 17, 2023, a new EU law has been in force, directly indicating the obligations placed on sectors classified as “essential” and “important.” Manufacturing falls into the latter category. While it is subject to lower potential penalties, the cybersecurity obligations for both categories are identical.
The first three listed areas of responsibility include:
- risk analysis and information system security policies,
- incident handling (prevention, detection and response to incidents),
- business continuity and crisis management.
In each of these areas, a SOC provides an organization with tangible support.
Work is currently underway to introduce these requirements into the national legal system, which is expected to occur by October 2024. The fact that the obligations resulting from NIS2 are not yet fully enforced is a “bonus” that gives Polish companies time to adapt to the upcoming regulations.
A Security Operations Center is an invaluable tool for industry, allowing for constant analysis and optimization of resources while simultaneously fulfilling regulatory requirements.
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