A new study by MeriTalk and Claroty found that despite rising investment in secure operational technology, nearly two-thirds of federal operational technology (OT) leaders expect to see a disruptive cyber incident within the year.
The study, “Guardians of Government, Vol. 2: Fortifying the cyber-physical frontier,” found that most federal agencies lack the visibility and expertise needed to secure operational technology. Only 36 percent have achieved full asset visibility and more than 60 percent report gaps in in-house cyberphysical systems (CPS). The research was based on a survey of 100 federal civilian and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) OT and CPS security leaders.
“The cyber-physical threat landscape is evolving faster than many agencies can adapt,” said Heather Young, Regional Vice President, Claroty, U.S. Federal Team. “Agencies that build around smart segmentation, continuous monitoring, and deep visibility are not only better positioned to defend themselves – they’re better equipped to sustain mission delivery in the face of disruption.”
According to the study, 91 percent of respondents said the evolving geopolitical threat landscape had intensified their focus on OT and broader CPS security, while 100 percent launched at least one new security initiative in the past year. For instance, the DOD has embraced network air-gapped systems. At the same time, agencies are investing in the Internet of Things (IoT), medical device security and governance frameworks.
However, the majority feel they face operations blind spots. More than two-thirds of the OT leaders said they anticipate a disruptive cyber-physical incident in the next 12 months, most likely impacting IoT devices and/or facility-related systems. The survey found that 60 percent remain concerned about end-of-life, internet-facing OT assets, and 61 percent say budget constraints delay improvements.
The report urges the OT leaders to invest in complete asset visibility, accelerate vulnerability assessments from quarterly to continuous, and to fortify legacy systems through segmentation and access control.