How to Apply Automated Threat Modeling to Industrial Cybersecurity | #hacking | #cybersecurity | #infosec | #comptia | #pentest | #ransomware

Summary

Cybercrime targeting the industrial sector is growing increasingly frequent and impactful, resulting in significant financial losses. How can companies leverage automated threat modeling to protect themselves from the evolving threat landscape?

What is automated threat modeling?

Threat modeling is a proactive approach to threat identification and response. Its purpose is to detect potential security weaknesses and vulnerabilities in time to keep threat actors from exploiting them. With this tool, the IT team can anticipate and prevent cyberattacks.

 

Automated threat modeling leverages computerized systems and algorithms to reference threat libraries and search for vulnerabilities without human intervention. It leverages artificial intelligence to complete data-driven, context-specific actions in real time.

 

How does automated threat modeling work? It automatically aggregates data from multiple sources, threat libraries and regulatory standards to identify likely cyber threats. Then, it scans systems and networks for previously known security weaknesses. Once it detects something, it triggers countermeasure initiation.

Why does industrial cybersecurity need automation?

As the threat landscape evolves and advanced technology lands in the hands of cybercriminals, industrial cybersecurity becomes more costly. According to one estimate, the market will increase to $43.2 billion by 2032, up from $20 billion in 2022. Since many companies’ budgets will remain the same, threat prioritization and timely mitigation strategies are vital.

 

The industrial sector faces increasingly frequent and impactful cyberattacks as threat actors realize how lucrative targeting it can be. For instance, manufacturing organizations experience 27% of all cyber intrusions, making them particularly vulnerable to man-in-the-middle and credential attacks. The resulting breaches, data losses or service interruptions are costly.

 

Automation has become an essential part of preventative industrial cybersecurity. Many companies have realized the importance of autonomous tools in compensating for widespread IT and labor shortages.

 

Industrial cybersecurity professionals need automated threat modeling because it prioritizes early intervention. Since the cost of cybercrime will surpass $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, it’s in their best interest to be proactive instead of reactive.

The benefits of automated threat modeling

Automated threat modeling has several advantages over its traditional counterpart. On top of providing standard automation gains, its integration with artificial intelligence enables it to deliver nontypical benefits.

The major benefits automated threat modeling offers:

• Timeliness: Algorithms process rapidly and can multitask, accelerating threat identification and vulnerability patching.
• Consistency: Automation all but eliminates the potential for human error, resulting in fewer false positives or negatives. Threat identification becomes more consistent.
• Cost-effectiveness: AI’s ability to continuously operate lessens industrial companies’ reliance on human labor, lowering operational costs. Additionally, the decline in successful breaches and cyberattacks reduces direct and indirect financial losses.
• Accuracy: Algorithms have a comprehensive knowledge of threat libraries and current cybercrime data, increasing their accuracy when identifying previously known and unknown threats.
• Insightfulness: Automated threat modeling searches for and identifies vulnerabilities better than humans, resulting in a greater comprehension of security weaknesses.
• Cost savings: In manufacturing, unplanned downtime causes $50 billion in losses every year. Automated threat modeling prevents service interruptions, preserving profits.

With automated threat modeling, companies in the industrial sector can prevent service interruptions, eliminate vulnerabilities and anticipate cyberattacks more consistently. Over time, that can lead to reputation improvements, productivity increases and higher profit margins.

How to implement automated threat modeling

Industrial cybersecurity professionals should apply automated threat modeling strategically.

1. Select a compatible automated threat modeling tool

Cybersecurity professionals and company leaders should select an automated threat modeling tool that is compatible with their industrial control systems. Integrations are critical for a robust security posture, making this step vital.

2. Integrate relevant threat libraries and data sources

An algorithm will better identify relevant vulnerabilities if it understands the threat landscape. Professionals should consider common and unconventional threats to the industrial sector, using industry and business-specific data to build a comprehensive database.

3. Use threat modeling results to conduct risk assessments

Professionals can use insights gained from automated threat modeling to conduct risk assessments. Instead of relying solely on industry data—since attackers target industrial sectors very differently—they can categorize and prioritize risk based on the potential cyberattack frequency and impact.

4. Plan mitigation strategies based on threat priority level

Once industrial cybersecurity professionals categorize relevant cyber threats based on their priority levels, they can improve their automated threat modeling technology’s countermeasures. Increasing its accuracy can help them prevent more intrusions and attacks.

5.Continuously feed new relevant data to the algorithm

Automated threat modeling is an ongoing process. Industrial companies should stay informed of relevant threats to their processes and equipment so they can provide their algorithm with a continuous data feed, ensuring identification and countermeasures remain prompt and effective.

Automated threat modeling strengthens cybersecurity

With automated threat modeling, industrial companies can address threats proactively and better inform their cybersecurity strategies. They can even use the cost savings it provides from efficiency improvements and cyberattack prevention to fund critical security processes.

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