As many industries strive to increase productivity while grappling with shifts towards an increasingly remote workforce, secure access has become a key part of any cyber-physical systems (CPS) cybersecurity strategy. Now more than ever organizations are relying on remote access solutions to operate, maintain, and update CPS in production or mission-critical environments; however, traditional remote access solutions fall short when it comes to addressing the unique operational constraints, security considerations, and personnel needs of CPS environments.
Purpose-built secure access solutions can not only protect your cyber-physical systems (CPS) from being accessed by bad actors, but can play a significant role in your return on investment (ROI) and offer cost-savings. Secure access ROI can reduce the chances of a costly cybersecurity incident, ensure compliance with regulations and help an organization avoid fines, improve efficiency and the Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) for OT assets, and more.
Find out how secure access and the adoption of a Zero Trust architecture can help you reduce costs and improve ROI, all while protecting your network and CPS devices.
Cost of Cybersecurity Incidents in OT
Cybersecurity incidents put an organization at risk, opening them up to serious repercussions. Apart from stolen data, danger to physical safety, or damage to a business’s reputation, the financial windfall that comes as a result of cyber attacks can have lasting effects.
Claroty found in The Global State of CPS Security 2024 that 26% of respondents believe a secure access solution would have decreased the impact from recent cyberattacks. Additionally, the report found that 63% of respondents incurred at least $100,000 in financial impact due to a cyber attack. Having that extra layer of security when CPS needs to be accessed remotely can protect your network and assets all while preventing the enormous cost and downtime that can follow cyber incidents.
Reducing Downtime and Continuing Operations
When a cyber attack hits your organization, downtime is inevitable. Taking the time to respond to the incident, take stock of the damage, and manage any exposures to prevent repeat attacks can halt business operations and lead to significant losses. While downtime during a crisis may be required, avoiding downtime at all costs and prioritizing continuing operations is paramount.
In fact, Forbes reported that downtime for industrial manufacturers can cost $50 billion a year. Taking appropriate security measures to reduce potential downtime is one of the strongest aspects of secure access ROI.
Determining Secure Access ROI
Adopting a secure access solution catered to meet the specific needs of the operational technology (OT) domain is a critical way to enhance cybersecurity while creating cost efficiencies. Here are three examples of the ways secure access ROI can affect your organization’s business outcomes.
Mean Time To Repair
One of the most beneficial ways to reduce time and improve costs for OT engineers repairing assets is to calculate the Mean Time To Repair, starting from the initial connection to the asset to begin maintenance to the moment they complete the repair and disconnect. Understanding how long maintenance is taking OT engineers can lead to improved efficiency and streamline costs associated with repairs to critical equipment, saving on supplies, labor hours, and reducing asset downtime.
Avoiding Consequences of Non-Compliance
With the rise of remote work and the growing necessity of secure access, regulatory bodies across industries have made secure access a cornerstone of compliance. U.S healthcare organizations must follow HIPAA access control standards to manage the identity of anyone accessing the network who might come into contact with patient health information (PHI). Industrial standards like ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards require industrial businesses to secure industrial automation and control systems (IACS).
Failing to comply with industry standards can be detrimental to an organization, whether because of an inability to maintain audit trails or in the aftermath of a cybersecurity incident when it becomes apparent that the organization was out of compliance. Instituting clear standards and a CPS secure access solution that maintains compliance with all industry regulations can help to effectively manage the identity lifecycle across the CPS landscape and protect your organization financially.
Improving Productivity and Efficiency
Remote access to your CPS is key to productivity and cost-efficiency, allowing work to be done in your environment from anywhere at any time. Secure access is first and foremost a way of allowing this necessary work to be done as securely as possible. But, by having a secure means of facilitating access to boost productivity and efficiency, your organization’s business operations can also continue safe and efficient operations without posing a cyber risk.
Secure Access with Claroty
A secure access solution that offers comprehensive protection as well as impactful cost savings and ROI measures can make a significant impact in your business operations. Enter Claroty xDome Secure Access.
At Claroty, we believe the biggest advantage defenders can have is to know their networks better than the adversary. That’s why we’ve designed Claroty xDome Secure Access in addition to our suite of industry-leading visibility, exposure management, network protect, and threat detection to deliver this advantage and maximize ROI.
As a cloud solution that’s purpose-built for CPS, Claroty xDome Secure Access delivers real-time updates, removing the need for scheduled downtime that could inhibit productivity. The simplified deployment model reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO) by removing the requirement of deploying and managing physical infrastructure. Designed specifically for the OT domain, xDome reduces MTTR, offering swift issue resolution, facilitating high system availability, and maintaining critical site survivability.
Considering the ROI and business continuity aspects that a secure access solution can offer your organization will set the foundation for long term success, both in cybersecurity and financial stability.
If you’d like to discuss Claroty xDome’s solutions for secure access and the ROI benefits, speak to a member of the Claroty team today.
