From risk assessment to protection: how to build an effective security strategy in industrial enterprises

Industrial sectors face escalating cyber threats that jeopardize operations, safety, financial stability and further technological development. In 2024, 40% of industrial organizations globally reported cyber incidents according to Kaspersky. Proactive cybersecurity measures are no longer optional but a necessity to ensure business continuity, regulatory compliance and protection against costly breaches. By implementing these measures, businesses can mitigate risks, safeguard sensitive data and maintain operational integrity in an increasingly hostile cyber environment.

- By ADRIAN HIA Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Kaspersky

Foundational security includes visibility and risk prioritization

A robust cybersecurity strategy begins with complete visibility, knowing what needs to be protected and where the greatest risks lie. In industrial environments, where IT and Operational Technology (OT) systems intersect, this requires not only a comprehensive asset inventory but also a risk assessment methodology tailored to operational realities.

An accurate, continuously updated inventory of all hardware, software and network segments is critical for understanding the attack surface. Industrial environments demand special attention to ICS components, such as

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), and SCADA servers, which require different security measures than traditional IT assets. Automated discovery tools, particularly those using passive monitoring to avoid disrupting OT processes, help maintain real-time visibility while minimizing blind spots.

With a clear asset baseline established, organizations can conduct meaningful risk assessments that allow to meet corporate risk criteria and account for both cyber and physical consequences. OT-specific frameworks, such as the Purdue Reference Model, help segment networks into security zones, while penetration testing (Black Box, Grey Box, and White Box) reveals vulnerabilities from multiple attacker perspectives. Findings should provide detailed and actionable insights into how the identified vulnerabilities and risks relate to the production process, so that an organization could implement effective security measures.