Mining Magazine August 2020 | Page 12

DIGITAL MINING

Andrea Carcano , Co-Founder & CPO of Nozomi Networks , discusses the growing cyber threats facing the mining industry as it is digitally transformed

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Digitalisation , automation and IoT devices are fuelling operational efficiencies in the mining industry . However , increased connectivity within operational technology environments has exponentially expanded the threat surface . Cyber threats against mining operations are real and those tasked with protecting against these attacks are faced with an arduous task .
Traditionally , legacy industrial control systems ( ICS ) were air gapped from broader IT systems , which protected these systems from IT security threats . However , growing pressure to improve profitability and operational efficiencies has resulted in an explosion of Industrial Internet of Things ( IIoT ) technologies . This has led to the convergence of IT and OT systems , eliminating the protections provided by air gapping . These once isolated operational systems are now connected to a mine ’ s entire enterprise network and , as a result , are exposed to numerous new cyber threats . Furthermore , the integration of IT and OT has revealed the visibility challenges associated with operational technology ( OT ).
SUMMER / AUTUMN 2020