homepage
Open menu
Go one level top
  • Train and Certify
    Train and Certify

    Immediately apply the skills and techniques learned in SANS courses, ranges, and summits

    • Overview
    • Courses
      • Full Course List
      • Training Roadmap
      • Training Formats
        • OnDemand
        • In-Person
        • Live Online
    • GIAC Certifications
    • Training Events & Summits
      • Event Locations
        • Americas
        • Europe & Middle East
        • Asia Pacific
      • Summits
    • OnDemand
    • Get Started in Cyber
      • Bachelors & Masters Degrees
      • Scholarships
    • Cyber Ranges
  • Manage Your Team
    Manage Your Team

    Build a world-class cyber team with our workforce development programs

    • Overview
      • Why Work with SANS
      • Industries
    • Group Purchasing
    • Build Your Team
      • Team Development
      • Assessments
      • Private Training
      • Hire Cyber Professionals
    • Leadership Training
  • Security Awareness
    Security Awareness

    Increase your staff’s cyber awareness, help them change their behaviors, and reduce your organizational risk

    • Overview
    • Products & Services
      • Security Awareness Training
        • EndUser Training
        • Phishing Platform
      • Specialized
        • Developer Training
        • ICS Engineer Training
        • NERC CIP Training
        • Healthcare Training
      • Risk Assessments
        • Knowledge Assessment
        • Culture Assessment
        • Behavioral Risk Assessment
    • OUCH! Newsletter
    • Career Development
    • Blog
    • Partners
  • Resources
    Resources

    Enhance your skills with access to thousands of free resources, 150+ instructor-developed tools, and the latest cybersecurity news and analysis

    • Overview
    • Webcasts
    • Summits & Forums
    • Content
      • Newsletters
        • NewsBites
        • @RISK
        • OUCH! Newsletter
      • Blog
      • Podcasts
      • Summit Presentations
      • Posters & Cheat Sheets
    • Research
      • White Papers
      • Security Policies
    • Tools
    • Focus Areas
      • Cyber Defense
      • Cloud Security
      • Digital Forensics & Incident Response
      • Industrial Control Systems
      • Cyber Security Leadership
      • Offensive Operations
  • Get Involved
    Get Involved

    Help keep the cyber community one step ahead of threats. Join the SANS community or begin your journey of becoming a SANS Certified Instructor today.

    • Overview
    • Join the Community
    • Work Study
    • Teach for SANS
    • CISO Network
    • Partnerships
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
  • About
    About

    Learn more about how SANS empowers and educates current and future cybersecurity practitioners with knowledge and skills

    • SANS
      • Overview
      • Our Founder
      • Awards
    • Instructors
      • Our Instructors
      • Full Instructor List
    • Mission
      • Our Mission
      • Diversity
      • Scholarships
    • Contact
    • Frequent Asked Questions
    • Customer Reviews
    • Press
    • Careers
  • SANS Sites
    • GIAC Security Certifications
    • Internet Storm Center
    • SANS Technology Institute
    • Security Awareness Training
  • Search
  • Log In
  • Join
    • Account Dashboard
    • Log Out
  1. Home >
  2. Blog >
  3. 6 Tips for ICS Trips
370x370_Dean-Parsons.jpg
Dean Parsons

6 Tips for ICS Trips

October 28, 2019

You can't defend what you don't know you have.

Whether your industrial control system (ICS) is an electric power utility, an oil & gas installation, or a cookie factory — asset identification is a crucial prerequisite for efficient network security monitoring. The most time-consuming method of asset identification is taking those trips to your ICS facilities, physically walking through the sites, and taking inventory. But I can tell you first hand that it's totally worth it!
Here are six tips for effective cybersecurity ICS trips that will maximize your time spent during on-site visits for accurate asset identification, effective cybersecurity awareness that fosters IT and OT relationships for smooth ICS incident response, and highlights new ways to ethically hack your physical security perimeter.

1. Coordinate with Safety Department

Prior to getting to the site, coordinate with stakeholders, including the site Safety Department. They'll need to be aware of your arrival and will conduct safety training when you arrive. This team knows the sites well and will be your guide, connecting you with plant operators. On-site operators and engineers live and breathe safety every day.
Stay alert and don't forget your proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Wear the right gear as per your site's policy. Learn to leverage the physical safety culture by drawing parallels between physical safety and cyber-safety.

2. Ethically Hack Your Physical Security Perimeter

Approach each site with the objective to evaluate defenses against physical intrusions. See how far you can get into the facility by challenging authentication at each level, starting with the front gate. Wait to show a badge until its requested, look for areas you could tailgate, look for unlocked doors, fences with holes or gaps, etc., all while keeping safety as the highest priority.

3. Cybersecurity Discussions on the Plant Floor

The ultimate place for a cybersecurity discussion is right on the plant floor with your operators. Cybersecurity teams need to understand how the physical ICS process and plant works, which systems are likely to be targeted by the adversary, and which are critical to the process that, if unavailable, would cause disruption to the process or a safety concern to people in the plant.
Cybersecurity teams need to communicate that security fully supports the safety and reliability of operations as their prime concern (always preferring IDS over IPS, for example). This goes a long way for the efforts of IT and OT convergence.

4. Spreadsheet App, Laptop Stand, and Network Diagrams

We all know there is a difference in what's on paper and what's in production — but let's start with what's on paper. Network diagrams will kick-start your asset identification efforts. If/when gaps are found on diagrams document them and keep moving.
Laptop tripod stands speed up inventory and data gathering efforts when a desk is not accessible.
Your spreadsheet to capture asset inventory should contain at least:

  • Asset Name
  • Description of Function
  • IP Address
  • MAC Address
  • Model/Manufacturer
  • Serial Number
  • Means of connectivity to the network
  • Ports and protocol(s) used
  • Firmware, operating system version

5. Follow Up with Traffic Analysis

Some items from plant inspections can be missed when doing asset identification. For example, when there is scheduled maintenance or upgrades, there may be inaccessible areas.
To close these gaps and get information on other assets when the process is fully up and running, traffic analysis can be used. This method is safer and less time consuming since no site visit is required, but will require a SPAN port and a hard drive to store the PCAPs.

You may want to capture traffic for 24-72 hours depending on the ICS process and how the process functions. Using free tools such as Wireshark, and its built-in features, can help you further identify assets. Of course, you will not get the discussions on the plant floor or the chance to strengthen relationships (face-to-face), which is why physical inspection is my recommended first method for asset ID efforts.

6. Storing Asset Inventory Back at the Office

Your inventory is incredibly valuable to you and the team. It is also of value and sought after by the adversary. Dump data gathered from your spreadsheet into a database that's scalable, searchable, secure via strong authentication, and segmented off from user land.

Learn more about Dean Parsons, Information Security Officer at Nalcor Energy.

Share:
TwitterLinkedInFacebook
Copy url Url was copied to clipboard
Subscribe to SANS Newsletters
Receive curated news, vulnerabilities, & security awareness tips
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Spain
Belgium
Denmark
Norway
Netherlands
Australia
India
Japan
Singapore
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska)
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard And McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kiribati
Korea, Republic Of
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States Of
Moldova, Republic Of
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Bartholemy
Saint Kitts And Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent And The Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome And Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
St. Helena
St. Pierre And Miquelon
Suriname
Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad And Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks And Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (British)
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Wallis And Futuna Islands
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Tags:
  • Industrial Control Systems Security

Related Content

Blog
Industrial Control Systems Security
June 20, 2022
Michael J. Assante ICS Security Lifetime Achievement Award
2022 Recipient - Jeffrey Shearer The SANS Institute is pleased to announce that Jeffrey Shearer has been named the 2022 recipient of the Michael J. Assante ICS Security Lifetime Achievement Award. Jeff Shearer is the Technical Director and Founder of Gray Man Cyber, where he provides Industrial...
SANS ICS
read more
Blog
ICS_Summit_Blog_Teaser.jpg
Industrial Control Systems Security, Digital Forensics and Incident Response
June 2, 2022
A Visual Summary of SANS ICS Security Summit 2022
On June 2nd and 3rd, thousands from around the globe tuned in for the SANS ICS Security Summit. We invited Ashton Rodenhiser of Mind's Eye Creative to create graphic recordings of our Summit presentations. If you missed a talk or are looking to view the SANS ICS Security Summit through a visual...
Emily Blades
read more
Blog
Untitled_design-43.png
Digital Forensics and Incident Response, Cybersecurity and IT Essentials, Industrial Control Systems Security, Purple Team, Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking, Cyber Defense, Cloud Security, Security Management, Legal, and Audit
December 8, 2021
Good News: SANS Virtual Summits Will Remain FREE for the Community in 2022
They’re virtual. They’re global. They’re free.
Emily Blades
read more
  • Register to Learn
  • Courses
  • Certifications
  • Degree Programs
  • Cyber Ranges
  • Job Tools
  • Security Policy Project
  • Posters & Cheat Sheets
  • White Papers
  • Focus Areas
  • Cyber Defense
  • Cloud Security
  • Cybersecurity Leadership
  • Digital Forensics
  • Industrial Control Systems
  • Offensive Operations
Subscribe to SANS Newsletters
Receive curated news, vulnerabilities, & security awareness tips
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Spain
Belgium
Denmark
Norway
Netherlands
Australia
India
Japan
Singapore
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska)
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard And McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kiribati
Korea, Republic Of
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States Of
Moldova, Republic Of
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Bartholemy
Saint Kitts And Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent And The Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome And Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
St. Helena
St. Pierre And Miquelon
Suriname
Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad And Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks And Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (British)
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Wallis And Futuna Islands
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe
  • © 2022 SANS™ Institute
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn