Cybersecurity measures appropriate for organizations in the manufacturing and heavy industrial sectors are different from their counterparts in other segments of the business world, and can often be more complex. A sizable level of demand for this subset of security has arisen in recent years, and a report by Index Markets Research projected the market's value to reach $530 million by 2022, due to major players including Honeywell, Cisco Systems and Lockheed Martin.
However, it's also become clear of late that industrial cybersecurity hasn't caught up with the pace of innovation characterized by the Industry 4.0 philosophy. To properly implement wide-ranging connectivity across industrial control systems and related tools, organizations need the right cybersecurity solutions in place – and the right people to manage them. YES Partners can aid in your search for ideal C-level staff or other personnel essential to meet these new and intense security demands.
Potential problems with industrial cybersecurity
According to Computer Business Review, the main security gulf between conventional IT and industrial settings is the latter's nature as operational technology, namely intelligent control systems, which prioritize availability and optimal function above other concerns. Traditional IT security, meanwhile, places a premium on confidentiality. There is security in place within industrial contexts, but ample evidence exists suggesting that it's easier to hack, as exemplified by the cyberattack against Schneider Electric in January 2018, per Reuters.
The gravity of industrial cybersecurity risks cannot be understated. Dimitrios Pavlakis, an industry analyst for ABI Research, explained this comprehensively in an interview with Help Net Security.
The cybersecurity threats faced in ICS are unlike any other," Pavlakis said to the news provider. "ICS are, quite literally, powering the world's leading and most critical industries. A well-placed cyberattack can cause human casualties, billions in infrastructure damage, and even bring certain operations of a country's critical infrastructure to a grinding halt."
He added that successful industrial cybersecurity needed to be implemented from the ground up by leaders in this space, rather than existing as an adaptation of traditional IT security methods.
Move your industrial operation in a more secure direction
Help Net Security pointed out that investments in threat intelligence, ID management, encryption and other security measures appropriate for industrial ICS are currently moving at a somewhat slow pace but will most likely pick up in the near future. However, the right tools won't be nearly as effective without the right people.
The management recruitment experts at YES Partners can steer you to the perfect candidates for overseeing your Industry 4.0 transition while also ensuring your operational assets and information remain closely protected. To see some of the roles we have already successfully placed, click here.
Finding people is easy, but finding the RIGHT people is not. YES Partners helps companies FIND the right people for all company functions, across many industries.
