מאמרים  מאת יוסי שביט #Protecting Physical Processes

Over the past decade, industrial organizations have made significant investments in strengthening the cybersecurity of Industrial Control Systems (ICS). These efforts have focused primarily on network segmentation, access control, continuous monitoring, system hardening, and threat detection. While these controls are essential, recent cyber incidents have demonstrated that even mature cybersecurity programs cannot guarantee the complete prevention of successful attacks. For facilities handling hazardous materials, the consequences of a cyberattack extend far beyond information loss or operational downtime. A successful attack may result in the uncontrolled release of hazardous substances, threats to human life, environmental damage, and substantial economic losses. Therefore, the central question is no longer how to prevent every cyberattack, but rather how to ensure that critical industrial processes continue to operate safely even after cybersecurity defenses have been compromised. This paper proposes adopting the concept of Operational Cyber Resilience, a framework that shifts the primary objective of industrial cybersecurity from protecting digital infrastructure to preserving the safety and continuity of physical industrial processes.