The problem we solve is the constant fear about and the inability to accurately quantify risk regarding cyber attacks directed against industrial control systems (ICS). Operational Technology (OT) is much more vulnerable to hacking than Information Technology (IT). When ICS is remotely manipulated in a manufacturing facility or a utility company, it usually causes down time, which immediately drives up expenses and radically reduces income.
The software platform (Cyber Intel Matrix, CIM) we have developed and the unique databases it builds assists threat intelligence analysts in identifying activity directed against the Industrial Control Systems they are responsible for, in real time, well before an attack actually unfolds. They can promptly locate vulnerabilities and breached data regarding specific Operational Technology in the critical infrastructure facility they are protecting.
The alerts are provided in the form of enriched feeds which correlate data regarding software and hardware vulnerabilities, IP address watchlists, known threat actors, nation state entities (APT groups), malware, and other indicators of compromise. The entire matrix of activity and correlations is mapped out using the STIX format, which makes it easy to integrate into commonly used log analysis platforms like Splunk.
Cyber Intel Matrix is essentially a big data company churning out vast amounts of parsed and relevant data from the unknown realms of the Dark Web. Our proprietary databases and our global industrial honeypot network called Blackpot Honeynet captures and processes hacker activity directed against critical infrastructure in real time. Our breached credentials database alone consists of more than 18 billion records, including passwords, which are constantly being used for social engineering by human and machine hackers worldwide.
The target groups who have this problem are a wide range of organizations and industries to control and monitor industrial processes. Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are often used in critical infrastructure, such as power plants, water treatment facilities, and transportation systems, that are essential to daily life.
- Electric power generation, transmission and distribution companies
- Oil and gas production and refining
- Chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical plants
- Water and wastewater treatment facilities
- Food and beverage production
- Transportation systems, such as railway and subway systems
- Manufacturing plants, such as automobile and steel manufacturing facilities
- Mining operations
- Military and government facilities
ICS are often used to control and monitor industrial processes, such as the flow of fluids and gases, temperature, pressure, and other process variables. These systems can also be used to control and monitor equipment, such as pumps, valves, and motors.
In addition to being used in traditional industrial settings, ICS are increasingly being used in other types of organizations, such as hospitals and other healthcare facilities, to control and monitor medical equipment.