Pulse Secure and Nozomi Networks have completed a technology integration that extends the zero trust protection provided by the Pulse Secure Access Suite to the industrial IoT, ICS and OT technologies that Nozomi focuses on.
The joint solution extends the discovery and classification of a vast range of IIoT devices, end-to-end visibility, continuous monitoring and analysis of the OT environment for potential threats and automated network isolation after an indication of compromise (IOC).
According to a recent IoT Analytic’s report, 50% of industrial assets in factories will be connected to some form of on-premise or remote data collection system. While IT and OT traditionally operated in two separate worlds, IT/OT convergence is opening up cybersecurity gaps in manufacturing organisations.
Many OT systems were never designed for remote or internet access, so connectivity risks were not fully considered. IoT and OT devices are increasingly connected to OT environments, leaving them open to attack because these devices usually don’t come with well-maintained or strong embedded security features.
These factors are making a unified IT/OT cybersecurity solution, like the Pulse Secure and Nozomi Networks integration, a cybersecurity imperative for organisations in the manufacturing, healthcare and critical infrastructure sectors. The joint solution protects OT, ICS and IIoT infrastructure and leverages the Pulse Secure zero trust model to enable organisations to “securely bring IIoT devices from their classical OT isolation into the IT realm, to increase operational flexibility, reduce time for trouble-shooting and improve overall uptime and productivity”, the partners said.
“While the convergence of IT and OT offers benefits of improved efficiencies, it also exposes previously isolated systems to cyber attacks. As OT devices are connecting beyond their traditional silos, device visibility, understanding and defences are rising in importance,” said Tony Massimini, senior industry analyst for network security at Frost & Sullivan. "Critical OT, ICS and IIoT systems if left unchecked are often vulnerable to cyber attacks, which urges security professionals to explore solutions that provide integrated discovery, monitoring, provisioning and threat response.”
He said the Nozomi Networks and Pulse Secure solution expands on the foundational capabilities of a Network Access Control (NAC) solution to enable secure, controlled IT/OT connectivity for devices, as well as remote administration and support services.
Prakash Mana, vice president of product management at Pulse Secure, said: “Attackers increasingly use connectivity and IoT device exposures to scan the network for other exploitable targets that provide access to sensitive data or credentials, or enable operational disruption.
“Pulse Secure’s NAC solution provides the necessary visibility and policy-based access management to ensure appropriate IoT device onboarding, monitoring, segregation and risk mitigation.”
“As IT and OT networks become more interconnected, the attack surface for cyber threats has expanded and is creating greater risk for the entire organisation,” said Nozomi Networks co-founder and CPO Andrea Carcano. “This integration with the Pulse Secure Access Suite, allows customers to leverage Nozomi Networks solutions to extend Pulse Secure’s zero trust protections across industrial IoT, ICS and OT networks.”
