When asked about the biggest challenges facing companies, Dave Weinstein, Claroty CSO cited the growing conflict between a strong inclination for digital transformation and a low appetite for risk.

For example – a smart factory adding hundreds or thousands of sensors and other IoT devices needs to deal with the fact that each device is a potential target for a hacker.

In the past, hackers have taken such devices over and turned them into controllable devices, allowing them to become part of a DDoS attack on another target.

Claroty enables organizations to continue down the path of digital transformation without sacrificing security and safety.

Dave Weinstein

He continued to say that OT safety was once dealt with on the plant floor but now the CEO is more in charge.

We discussed how organizations have little visibility as to what is on the network and how it communicates inside or outside the network.

“Helping practitioners gain that visibility is step one in overcoming challenges,” he exclaimed.

In fact, this past July, this industrial cybersecurity leader introduced several enhancements to Continuous Threat Detection (CTD), its award-winning OT security solution. The latest release of CTD enables enterprises to discover and monitor their Internet of Things (IoT) devices, provides customers with greater network visibility, reduces deployment time, and eliminates the “noise” of non-critical alerts.

Another issue we discussed is the human element – the biggest weakness in most organizations. Hackers use social engineering to attack unsuspecting employees and from their they get into industrial systems. This is why he said employees need to be trained on best-practices.

We asked if he thinks this is being done and he said, “In some places. It doesn’t get enough priority as it should. It’s not the sexy part of cybersecurity.” He continued, “But at the same time, it could be one of the most consequential steps an organization takes to protect their interests.”

The conversation then turned to how Claroty provides results for customers. He said they provide visibility which currently doesn’t exist. For example, when their solution is used for the first time, 99% of the time it finds far more devices than decision-makers were aware of. He calls this the “OMG moment.” This is when they realize how in the dark they are, he said.

The company uses DPI analysis to baseline traffic. They parse OT protocols which he says is the biggest barrier to entry.

“We can look at all the OT protocols out there,” he exclaimed.

From there they look at device firmware versions and scan for CVEs.

This allows the organization to prioritize a vulnerability management strategy.

In short, Claroty plays an important role in ensuring the IIoT, factories, manufacturers, food and beverage, agriculture businesses and others are secure as they evolve and transform. Claroty also helps protect legacy systems. Either way – it is important to know what vulnerabilities exist so they can be prioritized and eventually resolved.

Come and learn about the latest in everything business tech… Cybersecurity, Collaboration, UCaaS, the Channel, IT, IOT, Edge, AI, and the Future of Work at the world’s only MSP Expo part of the ITEXPO #TechSuperShow, Feb 12-14, 2020 Fort Lauderdale, FL.

One last plug – these cybersecurity essentials are crucial for all organizations.