Managing cascading threats in IT & OT environments
Διαχείριση διαδοχικών / μεταφερόμενων απειλών σε περιβάλλοντα IT/OT
View/
Keywords
Risk management ; Cascading threats ; Data analysis ; Threat modellingAbstract
The concept of cascading threats has been the subject of increasing research in recent years, with a focus on identifying them and assessing their risk. Threat modeling, risk assessment, incident handling, and the development of mitigation strategies are considered core steps to defend against cascading threats. However, the complexity and interconnectivity of modern systems make it challenging to understand the potential impact of a cascading threat and to design effective models that predict dependencies. This research relies on an extensive examination of the relevant literature along with an analysis of applicable risk assessment techniques. Both Information Technology and Operational Technology environments are within the scope of this research. The main objective is the provision of a deeper understanding of cascading threats, their characteristics, and their impact on the information systems as well as to critical infrastructures. Thus, a systematic methodology and recommendations for identifying, assessing, and mitigating cascading threats are being proposed. Consequently, best practices and suggested architectures are presented both for IT and OT environments. The research also explores the role of data analysis tools for better visualizing and tracking the dependencies between assets and therefore a custom technical implementation is being presented. Finally, a promising approach for thoroughly evaluating cascading threats using a mathematical model has been proposed for future research. This research will be of interest to professionals/ researchers who are concerned to understand and manage cascading threats of the IT/OT world and will be particularly useful for those working in cybersecurity.