Battle for the switch-ports: Security challenges in hyper-connected industrial/building automation

The exponential growth of connectivity in the Operational Technology (OT) domain brings a whole new range of cyber security challenges. Next to IT and ICS/SCADA systems, building automation systems and IoT devices, are competing for a connection port on the switch. By bringing all these systems together, the control systems that look after the primary process and the safety thereof, end up connected to the same network as building automation systems and IoT-devices. The security and safety implications of this are enormous.

This presentation discusses the impact of hyper-connectivity between ICS/SCADA systems and building automation systems/IoT. For an attacker, the building and IoT systems are a perfect stepping stone to get access to the IACS systems.