Security News > 2020 > September > CEOs Could Be Held Personally Liable for Cyberattacks that Kill

Gartner defines CPSs as "Systems that are engineered to orchestrate sensing, computation, control, networking and analytics to interact with the physical world." The security implications for such systems have been heightened as IT systems, IoT and the operational technology that controls physical systems continue to converge.

At the same time, many companies are unaware that they have OT systems connected to enterprise networks; or, they may not be following proper network segmentation or other precautions.

"In the U.S., the FBI, NSA and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have already increased the frequency and details provided around threats to critical infrastructure-related systems, most of which are owned by private industry. Soon, CEOs won't be able to plead ignorance or retreat behind insurance policies."

These safety instrumented system controllers are responsible for shutting down plant operations in the event of a problem and act as an automated safety defense for industrial facilities, designed to prevent equipment failure and catastrophic incidents such as explosions or fire.

In terms of best practices, Gartner recommended that organizations first identify all connected assets in the organization, regardless of whether these are considered IT equipment, OT equipment, building management systems, smart appliances or any other type of connected device.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/ceos-personally-liable-cyberattacks-kill/158990/