Posted: August 9th, 2022

Deployment of Automation Security Assessment

Deployment of Automation Security Assessment
Estimated risk level: HIGH
Objective
The purpose of the analysis is to investigate the level of risk posed by the automation of the production in Waystar Company.

Scope
The assessment seeks to address three important factors that determine the automation risk that affects the integrity, confidentiality and the availability of the systems for efficient operations.
• An analysis of the fabricated and natural threats
• The availability of operational and cybersecurity control mechanisms
• The overall state of the IT security system with a special focus on the current capabilities of the staff members and processes relied on to safeguard the entity.

Out of Scope
Other processes involved in the automation process and external factors.

Information Classification
The automation process may involve some information considered as trade secrets that facilitate efficient production in the company and provide the entity with an edge over its competitors. Therefore, the classification of the information is confidential.

Criticality of the Level of the System
The period of the intolerance period is analyzing the automation system is approximately 48 hours and the evaluation is important.

The Participants.
Security Analyst:…………..
Collaborator: Mr. John George Terry
IT Specialist: Frankline Lampard
Collaboratior: Ashleton Coleman
IBM Collaborator: Wayne Bridgeton
Waystar Governance: Joe Cole

Dates
The security assessment took place from 10th June to 21st June, 2020.

Executive Homework help – Summary
In all industries, the process of automation attracts some level of risk to the business. The disruption of production services leads to significant losses and dents the reputation of the company. An analysis of the potential risks presented by automation appears to be high judging from the abnormalities observed:

1. The lack of encryption measures to protect access to the systems.
2. There are no written procedures to guide continued production in the case of failures in the automation processes.
3. There is a high number of individuals authorized to access the server rooms of the company.
4. There is no procedure to allocate passwords for system access.

Observations
Indeed, automation is one among the key drivers of change in modern industry. By the year 2030, research works demonstrates that automation will take up more than 800 million tasks undertaken manually. Currently, automation is changing how people work, the forms of planning and the levels of engagement. The automation systems of the company stretch across a broad range of critical functions in the company. The systems have the ability to control and the assets and machinery of the company. The automation converges operational technologies and information systems into one integrated network that brings innumerable benefits. The convergence also opens leads to some vulnerabilities embedded on ICS components that cause exposure to known and unknown cyber risks.
One of the observations indicated buffer overflows that may lead to programing errors leading to an overrun on the boundary of the buffer that overrides the memory blocks that are adjacent. Such programming errors cause the input validation processes and that crashes the programs, corrupts the data, and opens up an avenue for the execution of malicious codes on the system. To that extent, it is imperative to conduct the appropriate validation and testing methods. Additionally, it is necessary to conduct boundary checks to protect the system against software failure and buffer overflows.
It is also worthy to note that the poor input validation also leaves the automation systems such as HMI, SCADA, DCS and PLC open to all forms of cyberattacks like SQL injections that occur when there is an embedding of malicious codes in the applications through backend databases by producing queries that are not common in normal circumstances. The observation also indicates a likelihood of cross-side scripts attackers can inject scripts into the web pages with the aim of bypassing the access controls.
The observation also indicated the use of unauthenticated protocols. In the automated systems, the protocols transfer the authenticated data two entities to allow both of them to connect. In computer networking, authentication protocols are the most important element for protecting interactions. When the automated systems lack authentication, any devices or computers can connect to the networks and input commands that change, manipulate or alter operations controlled by the system. The observations lead to a referral of hacking incident on German steel, in the attack the lack of authentication protocols were the main cause of the breach. Unauthenticated protocols can lead to similar results in Waystar Company by creating remote access points in the systems.
From the observations, it was also obvious that user authentication system is weak. The description of weak means that the authentication process is easy to bypass. A common example of system is a knowledge authentication process that allows users to gain entry by using information known to them. The knowledge authentication passwords in the company are weak because the policies and the password management system are not up to date. On the other hand, the identity-based authenticating system is the best alternative. The system uses biometric readings like the iris or fingerprint scan to allow access of authorized users. The biometric readings are more difficult to compromise than the knowledge based systems. Theoretically, it is easier and more possible to crack the knowledge-based systems. Businesses that understand the value of their assets should institute strong authentication systems.
Untimely software adoption also posed some form of security risks on the security of the system. Improper set up of unproved software allows loopholes to appear in the control systems. Eventually, malicious hackers can exploit the systems if the configuration of the software is not correct. The observation also led to the noting of improper patch implementation. Consequently, there is a detriment in the optimal running of the automated control systems. Before implementing new patches or software, the organization should create a checklist that verifies the proper functioning of technology to ensure that all pending implementations are ready to perform at the level required.
Poor password management is one of the common vulnerabilities of computer networks and automatic control systems. Despite the simplicity of the task, many organizations do not concern themselves too much with password management systems that protect the system against cyberattacks. Wayward Company does not have a proper password management system. Each of the members of staff has the convenience of using a password that they know and is familiar to them. Therefore, there is a risk that some of them are using weak passwords. The company should opt for more stringent authentication processes. The automated system should have the ability to reject the use of weak passwords.
List of Anomalies and Deviations
1. Buffer overflows
2. Unauthenticated protocols
3. Weak user authentication
4. Untimely software adoption
5. Poor password management policies
Recommendations
1. The company should encrypt all the access points to the company system.
2. The company should conduct a training to its staff members to inform them on the possibility of cyberattacks and their role in preventing such attacks.
3. The organization should implement an identity-based biometric authentication system and do away with the current knowledge based authentication procedure.
4. The company should introduce a password management system to generate unique passwords for each of the members of staff.
5. Waystar Company should set a procedure of evaluating software before full adoption.
Conclusion
The main advantage of automation is the reduction of costs. The costs of purchasing and maintaining equipment is less compared to that of maintaining staff in the long term. However, with the rise in automation, there is also a resultant increase in the number of security threats. Reliance on automated systems drives the technology that makes production more efficient and effective. It is imperative for Waystar Company to identify the vulnerabilities and set measures to resolve them as a matter of urgency. From the observations, the system does not have embedded security controls. Communication and close collaboration of the infrastructure is the main role of the automation. The development of a cybersecurity mechanism should be intricate because hackers are improving their attacking skills each day. To that extent, a robust security system is the only tool that can stand between cyberattacks, chaos and the functioning of critical infrastructure in the organization. A comprehensive system of compliance and regular updates on the security system will help Waystar Company to deal with the evolving threats.

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