Cruising the Seven Oceans Safely from Harbor to Harbor – OT Entry Security for Ships and Cranes
Operational Technology (OT) security has impacted marine vessel and port operators, as both ships and industrial cranes are becoming digitalized and automated swiftly, introducing novel kinds of security dilemmas.
Ships dock around every half-year on average. Container cranes are predominantly automated. Troubleshooting, upkeep, enhancement, and alterations to these crucial systems are performed distantly, often by external vendor specialists. This accentuates the significance of adequate secure remote entry management for industrial control systems (ICS).
Find out more in our Purchaser’s Handbook for Secure Remote Entry Lifecycle Administration.
Here at SSH Communications Security (SSH), we have been spearheading security solutions that bridge the divide between IT and OT in privileged access management. Let’s delve into how we assisted two clients in fulfilling their crucial access control requirements with us.
Protected Remote Entry Worldwide to Thousands of Ships
In the maritime sector, guaranteeing secure and effective remote entry to OT systems is critical for upholding vessel operations and security. A prominent marine vessel operator, overseeing a fleet of cutting-edge ships, encountered substantial hurdles in this realm. With operations extending globally and a continuously expanding fleet of ships to oversee, the firm necessitated a robust solution for securing remote entry for their engineers and vendor technicians.
The Obstacle
The customer’s existing security protocols were inadequate for the intricate and dynamic nature of their activities. The connections to ships were continual, attributing an identity to each session was challenging, the absence of both precise access controls and extensive auditing capabilities posed a hazard to both security and adherence, and the customer was grappling with scalability complications with their present solution.
The Resolution: PrivX OT Edition
To surmount these obstacles, the firm deployed SSH’s PrivX OT Edition. This solution furnishes a centralized, expandable, and user-friendly platform for managing remote entry. Key attributes consist of:
- Empowering the customer to link to their clientele’s 1000s of container ships globally via satellite links for maintenance, monitoring, and diagnostics.
- Just-in-Time (JIT) and Just Enough Access (JEA): Guaranteeing that engineers possess the suitable level of entry only when necessary and only for the requisite duration.
- In-depth auditing: Offering meticulous insights into entry management.
- Centralized entry: Both internal and external technicians log into one centralized gateway irrespective of the ship’s location or the technician’s whereabouts.
- Automation: The solution was implemented in the AWS cloud for satellite connections and automated attribution of an identity to a role for top-notch performance.
Consequently, the customer can now assure the crew’s safety, avert unscheduled and costly dock periods, alleviate the risk of disruptions to ship operations, and adhere to the stipulations and suggestions by the NIS2 Directive and IEC 62442 standards. All while modernizing their operations to acquire a competitive edge in the global maritime sector.
Dive deeper into the scenario here.
Vendor Technician Entry to Industrial Cranes Limited and Secured
This client is a premier global manufacturer of industrial machinery, boasting over a century of expertise. Operating in approximately 50 nations, the company required a robust solution to secure remote entry to automated industrial cranes for their maintenance engineers.
The Challenge
The company’s current point-based security controls were insufficient. They lacked the needed granularity, functionality, and transparency, heightening the risk of cyber assaults and data breaches. For instance, the client faced hurdles in limiting access to cranes at a specific harbor, implying that a maintenance engineer from Asia could access a harbor in Europe – and vice versa.
Furthermore, the former solution did not offer adequate auditing capabilities, jeopardizing adherence andcompliance with security regulations can be challenging.
Solving the Problem: PrivX OT Edition
To tackle these obstacles, the organization implemented SSH’s PrivX OT Edition. This remedy delivers a centralized, scalable, and user-friendly system for managing remote entry. Key elements comprise:
- Geographical restrictions on vendor technicians to approach cranes at maritime docks.
- Just-In-Time (JIT) and Just Sufficient Access (JEA): Guaranteeing that engineers possess the appropriate level of entry during the proper moment only for the unique crane.
- Thorough Auditing: A detailed record of activities, session tracking, and recording.
- Non-intrusive deployment: Introducing precise control over access with minimal alterations to the current VPN/Firewall/technology framework.
Consequently, the client can currently bound access according to region and specific crane for adequate duty separation. Both impromptu and scheduled technician entry is safeguarded and accessible within minutes – along with automatic discontinuation. Moreover, this more detailed access management was accomplished with minor disturbance to the existing infrastructure.
Explore additional information about the scenario here.
In Summary
By utilizing PrivX OT Edition, enterprises can consolidate access to all essential targets in IT and OT, irrespective of the user or target location. The solution eradicates the necessity for individual solutions for access and provides a consistent, adaptable, and coherent access for security requirements on an industrial scale.
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