Strengthening Cybersecurity in Life Science
Guest Post by Benjamin Amoss, Division Manager, Life Sciences at TAI
April 3, 2023
A life science company that specializes in developing medical devices and pharmaceuticals recognized the need to enhance its cybersecurity posture. The company had experienced several cyber incidents in the past, including data breaches and ransomware attacks, which had resulted in financial losses and reputational damage. The company’s management realized that the life science industry is highly regulated, and any cyber incident could have serious consequences for patient safety and regulatory compliance.
The company’s IT team identified that its operational technology infrastructure was vulnerable to cyberattacks, and a breach could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical data and systems. The company needed to take measures to secure its operational technology infrastructure, which included Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, and Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs).
The company implemented TAI recommended cybersecurity measures, which resulted in a significant improvement in its cybersecurity posture. The implementation of the measures has led to enhanced protection of critical systems and data, minimized the risk of cyber incidents, and ensured compliance with industry regulations and standards. The company continues to conduct regular risk assessments and security audits to identify new vulnerabilities and assess the effectiveness of the security measures.
The life science industry is highly regulated, and any cyber incident could have serious consequences for product safety and regulatory compliance. This case study highlights the importance of implementing a comprehensive cybersecurity plan to secure operational technology infrastructure in the life science industry. By investing in cybersecurity measures, the company was able to protect critical systems and data, maintain regulatory compliance, and mitigate the risk of reputational damage and financial losses.
An operational technology (OT) cybersecurity plan is a comprehensive set of strategies, policies, and procedures designed to protect the OT infrastructure of an organization from cyber threats. Operational technology refers to the hardware and software systems that control physical processes, such as manufacturing, energy production, or transportation. The goal of an OT cybersecurity plan is to safeguard the industrial control systems (ICS) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems that are used to monitor and control critical processes. These systems are often connected to the internet, making them vulnerable to cyber attacks, such as malware, phishing, and hacking.
TAI’s OT team proposes a comprehensive cybersecurity plan that include the following measures:
- Risk assessment and compliance: The IT team conducted a risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities in the company’s operational technology infrastructure. Based on the assessment, the team identified areas of non-compliance with industry regulations and standards, such as FDA guidelines, NIST, and ISO. The team then developed a roadmap to address the compliance gaps and mitigate risks.
- Threat analysis: Analyzing the various types of cyber threats that may target the OT infrastructure.
- Access control: Implementing strong access controls and authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access.
- Segregation of networks: The IT team proposed segregating the company’s operational technology network from the corporate network to prevent unauthorized access to critical systems and data. The team also recommended implementing firewalls and access controls to limit network access to authorized personnel.
- Incident response: Establishing standard operating procedures for detecting, responding to, and recovering from cyber incidents.
- Hardening of PLCs and SCADA systems: The IT team proposed implementing measures to harden PLCs and SCADA systems, including disabling unused ports and services, changing default passwords, and applying firmware updates to address known vulnerabilities. The team also recommended implementing intrusion detection and prevention systems to monitor network traffic and detect potential attacks on the control systems.
- Employee training and awareness: The IT team proposed conducting regular employee training and awareness sessions to educate personnel on the importance of cybersecurity and how to identify and report potential cyber threats.
- Continuous monitoring: Regularly monitoring the OT infrastructure for vulnerabilities, anomalies, and suspicious activity.
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DISCLAIMER: This article was submitted as a guest post by a member of the BioBuzz community and was not written by BioBuzz staff. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author listed above and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of BioBuzz.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Benjamin Amoss, Division Manager, Life Sciences at TAI
Mr. Amoss is an interdisciplinary Automation and Controls Engineer with professional experience in agricultural, life science, and food process industries. He has served as the TAI Division Manager for Life Science Computerized Systems since 2021, leading a team of engineers in developing, consulting, proposing, bidding, and constructing control systems for the Life Science industry. He exhibits intricate knowledge of biological processing, aseptic filling, and food and fiber systems with electrical, mechanical, and chemical aptitudes allowing cross functional team leadership. Extensive work in control system architecture from machine to distributed control platforms and Operational Technology architecture for Rockwell, Siemens, Aveva, Cisco and Stratus components. Mr. Amoss is a technical representative and subject matter expert capable of disseminating ideas and recommendations to broad international teams.
