Foundations for OT Cybersecurity: Asset Inventory Guidance for Owners and Operators

TLP:CLEAR

Executive Summary

When building a modern defensible architecture, it is essential for operational technology (OT) owners and operators across all critical infrastructure sectors to create an OT asset inventory supplemented by an OT taxonomy. Using these tools helps owners and operators identify which assets in their environment should be secured and protected, and structure their defenses accordingly to reduce the risk a cybersecurity incident poses to the organization’s mission and service continuity.

An asset inventory is an organized, regularly updated list of an organization’s systems, hardware, and software. For OT environments, a key part of creating an asset inventory is developing an OT taxonomy: a categorization system that organizes and prioritizes OT assets, aids in risk identification, vulnerability management, and incident response by classifying assets based on function and criticality.

This guidance outlines a process for OT owners and operators to create an asset inventory and OT taxonomy. This process includes defining scope and objectives for the inventory, identifying assets, collecting attributes, creating a taxonomy, managing data, and implementing asset life cycle management. These steps define a thorough and systematic approach to creating and maintaining an OT asset inventory and OT taxonomy, enabling organizations to maintain an accurate and up-to-date record of their OT assets.

Furthermore, this guidance outlines how OT owners and operators can maintain, improve, and use their asset inventory to protect their most vital assets. Steps include OT cybersecurity and risk management, maintenance and reliability, performance monitoring and reporting, training and awareness, and continuous improvement. By addressing these areas, organizations can enhance their overall security posture and ensure the reliability and safety of their OT environments.

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TLP:CLEAR