In today's digitally interconnected world, cybersecurity is no longer merely a concern, but a critical imperative for every industry, including food and beverage (F&B) manufacturing.
With the increased integration of IT and manufacturing processes, the attack surface for operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) has expanded significantly. The widened attack surface makes manufacturing facilities more vulnerable to security breaches that can disrupt plant operations, damage a businesses’ reputation, and even threaten public and employee safety.
In response to this growing threat, a Rockwell Automation study says that 41% of consumer packaged goods (CPG) businesses said they are focusing technology investments on cybersecurity. By enacting proactive cybersecurity measures and best practices, F&B manufacturers can significantly improve their OT security posture to increase resilience against cyberattacks.
Here’s how to navigate the OT cybersecurity landscape in the F&B industry, including post-incident analysis, recovery and reporting.
Understanding the threat landscape
Within the F&B industry, a cybersecurity incident can impact key OT systems including refrigeration, misdirecting materials, and tampering with or stealing recipes. To help protect against cyber threats, organizations must first determine where they are most at risk in their systems and networks.
Performing frequent asset inventories that cover all IT and OT systems within the facility enables companies to prioritize their vulnerabilities based on the severity and potential impact of the threat. For the CPG industry, some of the most significant threats to their operations include outdated or unpatched software and the use of legacy systems. The use of legacy systems poses cybersecurity risks, but embracing smart manufacturing technology has advanced both production and OT security.
The emergence of smart manufacturing technologies resulted in a significant transformation in the manufacturing sector. Despite the resulting benefits, nearly one-third of food and beverage companies consider replacing or upgrading legacy machinery as a significant barrier to smart manufacturing adoption.
Even with the significant advantages of updating legacy automation, an alarming two thirds of organizations lack an effective OT patch-management procedure. This reliance on legacy equipment prevents CPG companies from deploying the latest cybersecurity protections, leaving them open to cyberattacks. Companies can help secure aging infrastructure by embracing proactive risk management and digital transformation, allowing real-time monitoring and rapid threat containment and recovery.
Rising from the ashes: Strategies for swift and effective cybersecurity recovery
For companies building their cybersecurity strategies, it’s helpful to know where to start.
Cyberattacks are inevitable, so companies should focus on prevention as well as on recovery. In the event of an attack, it’s vital that organizations can quickly respond to the breach to minimize impact. Companies can do this by focusing on activities that prioritize returning to business as usual such as disclosing attacks, documenting policies in place and procedures followed to resolve the incident and testing affected systems before bringing them back online. To ensure that the incident recovery plan goes off without a hitch, companies should regularly test their incident preparedness and look for any gaps in the process.
Today, companies often face uncertainty regarding IT vs. OT responsibilities during incident response. If not addressed and clarified ahead of the incident, precious time is wasted that would be better used getting business back in action. Companies must practice their incident response plan to gain speed and confidence in its execution. Incident response tabletop exercises help teams practice their roles, responsibilities and actions, uncovering unanswered questions before a breach arises.
Incident recovery goes beyond fixing the issue, it's a comprehensive approach to not only getting things back to normal but making the organization stronger and ready for future cyber challenges.
Beyond the breach: Strategies for effective post-incident analysis
A Rockwell Automation study found that more than 80% of cybersecurity attacks were the result of a compromised IT system. Increased connectivity broadens the opportunities for malicious entities to gain access to operations and potentially wreaking havoc. Strong segmentation between IT and OT networks will help prevent the spread of IT attacks into OT environments while cybersecurity teams determine what was affected and where systems are vulnerable.
A thorough post-incident analysis provides companies with valuable insights into where they can enhance their defenses to mitigate future risks. In addition to identifying the cause of the attacks, this gives companies the opportunity to assess the effectiveness of their current incident response plan and determine possible areas of improvement. This could include a more thorough response plan, improved communication protocols or deploying cybersecurity awareness training.
F&B companies can also learn how to fortify their cybersecurity infrastructure by observing industry trends. Unfortunately, the true impact and depth of cybersecurity incidents is unknown because of underreporting and delays in reporting. The SEC recently adopted requiring public companies to enhance and standardize disclosures regarding cybersecurity risk management, strategy, governance and incidents. This represents a significant step in improving transparency and investor protection in an increasingly digitalized world. In the United States, annual fines for cybersecurity regulation violations can vary significantly based on the specific rules and the severity of the infraction. Since 2019, major companies have paid regulators upwards of $4.4 billion in fines, penalties and settlements due to cybersecurity incidents.
Protecting the food chain: Prioritizing cybersecurity for long-term resiliency
The F&B industry faces a unique set of challenges in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape. Proactive post-incident analysis, comprehensive recovery strategies, and transparent reporting empower businesses not only to mitigate the impact of an attack but also emerge stronger and more resilient. By prioritizing cybersecurity throughout the organization and fostering a collaborative culture of security awareness, F&B businesses support the safety and integrity of their products and safeguard the trust of customers and stakeholders.
