Cyber security | 28 November 2024

Traditionally, the term 'asset integrity' was used to underscore the importance of maintaining and preserving the stability and reliability of assets over their lifecycle, but today, asset resilience has become equally critical in ensuring systems can adapt and recover from disruptions. Over the past thirty years, there has been a significant shift towards resilience, a term you're likely familiar with if you work in the IT or OT space. This transformation, driven by factors such as technological evolution and its integration into every aspect of business, is a clear sign of the changing landscape of asset management.

Why Asset Resilience is Critical in Today's Digital Landscape

Thirty years ago, IT systems operated largely independently, isolated from widespread connectivity and the internet as we know it today. The level of risk associated with cyber threats was minimal compared to the present landscape. Fast forward to the present day, and the scenario has dramatically shifted. The interconnected nature of modern IT systems has exponentially increased exposure to cyber risks, amplifying vulnerabilities and creating a fertile ground for malicious actors – so much so that today, cybercrime has become a $1.5T industry over the past decade, rivalling the likes of global industries such as telecommunications or automotive manufacturing. 

Evolving Threats and the Imperative for Asset Resilience

Even in the past few years, we have seen a significant uptick in cyberattacks, with the number of instances doubling since the onset of the pandemic. As the number of attacks has grown, so has their sophistication and the impact they can have on organisations.

The financial implications of cyber incidents are profound, as highlighted in the IMF's Global Financial Stability Report. The report underscores the rising peril of extreme financial losses stemming from cyber incidents, which are now soaring to $2.5 billion and growing. These potential losses threaten immediate financial stability and long-term solvency, posing existential challenges to businesses of all sizes. The repercussions extend beyond direct financial impact, with indirect losses such as reputational damage and the cost of fortifying cybersecurity measures being substantially higher and often much harder to quantify.

Organisations, especially those in OT environments that rely heavily on interconnected systems, need to be proactive. It's not enough to just tick boxes and adhere to compliance standards. They must ensure operational resistance against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. This proactive approach is crucial in the face of the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.

Asset Integrity vs. Asset Resilience: Key Differences

While some may use asset integrity and asset resilience interchangeably, the two concepts have distinct differences. Asset integrity, often managed through Asset Integrity Management Systems (AIMS), focuses on ensuring an asset operates effectively and accurately throughout its lifecycle whilst also protecting the wellbeing of all personnel and equipment with which it interacts.

Asset resilience, in contrast to asset integrity, focuses on the ability of assets and systems to adapt and recover quickly from disruptions, including but not limited to cyber threats, natural disasters, or operational failures. While asset integrity primarily concerns the ongoing maintenance of stability and reliability throughout an asset's lifecycle, asset resilience emphasises readiness and responsiveness in the face of unexpected events or challenges.

Asset resilience includes proactive measures such as robust contingency planning, redundancy in critical systems, and continuous monitoring to detect and mitigate threats promptly. It involves designing systems and processes that can withstand disruptions without compromising overall functionality or safety. Unlike asset integrity, which is centred on maintaining operational standards and reliability under normal conditions, asset resilience prepares organisations to manage and recover from disruptions to minimise downtime, prevent financial losses, and preserve operational continuity.

In essence, while asset integrity ensures assets operate reliably over time, asset resilience equips organisations to manage risks and maintain operational effectiveness in the face of adversity, thereby improving overall organisational resilience.

How to Enhance Asset Resilience in Critical OT Environments

With the increasing frequency of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure globally, organisations—especially those in critical industries such as Oil & Gas, Power Generation and Utilities, Food and Beverage, and Pharmaceuticals—must prioritise improving asset resilience.

In a previous article, we outlined 5 Key Strategies and Solutions for OT Environments utilising Cyber Security Management Systems (CSMS) to enhance asset resilience and fortify defences against cyber threats. These systems are designed to improve cybersecurity posture through robust monitoring, early threat detection, rapid incident response capabilities, and continual adaptation to evolving cyber risks. By integrating CSMS, organisations can ensure operational continuity, safeguard sensitive data, protect personnel safety, and comply with stringent regulatory frameworks in highly regulated sectors.

Asset Guardian: Your Partner in Building Resilient OT Systems

However, establishing a CSMS can pose challenges, particularly without adequate resources, expertise, or familiarity with cybersecurity best practices. Thankfully, Asset Guardian is here to help. As a trusted partner for organisations worldwide in safeguarding process control software assets, expediting disaster recovery, and optimising change management, we bring extensive experience to support you in implementing CSMS in OT environments.

Asset Guardian offers comprehensive protection of your OT assets in a single platform.  Asset Guardian can help you eliminate downtime, improve safety and achieve compliance by bringing greater visibility, reliability and reassurance across your critical operations. 

Our solution offers a range of features designed to deliver substantial benefits to businesses, ensuring robust cybersecurity management and compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements. Asset Guardian simplifies disaster recovery, and improves configuration change management. By centralising software assets in a secure repository, we minimise the risk of cyber-attacks and enable seamless recovery in case of corruption. With version control and tamper-proof auditability, Asset Guardian ensures consistent utilisation of the correct software version across all locations, effectively safeguarding critical assets.

In embracing asset resilience, organisations not only improve their operational effectiveness but also strengthen their overall resilience in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. This proactive stance is essential for safeguarding against future uncertainties and maintaining sustainable growth and stability in the long term.

Want to achieve the above with a proven solution? Please get in touch today.