Cyber experts call on CISA to create mandatory federal OT rules

What happened

The Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition (OTCC) released a white paper on Tuesday urging the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to create a new directive centered around operational technology, which is used to monitor and control critical infrastructure. OTCC said the recent cyberattacks on hundreds of water systems in at least 12 U.S.

states was a clear warning sign that operational technology has become a ripe target for both nation states and cybercriminals. Much of the technology within the water systems that was impacted were devices that should not have been connected to the internet, had default passwords or no passwords at all and were not segmented from other non-operational parts of the network. Federal civilian agencies rely on more than 8,000 owned or leased buildings that include laboratories, hospitals, research facilities, ports of entry and more — all of which have an array of HVAC, power, access control, water and building automation systems.

Key facts

• The Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition (OTCC) — released: a white paper on Tuesday urging the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to create a new directive centered around operational technology, which is used to monitor and control critical infrastructure