In recent years, cyber security attacks targeting OT environments have increased dramatically. What once seemed an isolated terrain for digital threats has now become a clear target for cybercriminals. With the growing convergence between the IT and OT worlds, the need for a strong industrial cyber security posture is more urgent than ever.
In this new scenario, the human factor represents one of the main risk vectors, being a common vulnerability and a common entry point, which cybercriminals are aware of and try to exploit. For this reason, cybersecurity awareness and training are essential in the protection of industrial systems.
This article explores the critical role that employee training plays in preventing security incidents in OT environments.
In addition, it will be presented how InprOTech GUARDIAN becomes a key ally in empowering both technical and non-specialist staff, facilitating threat detection and risk reduction on the shop floor.
The human factor: the weakest link in OT
Despite advanced technologies and protective measures, the human factor remains one of the main causes of cyber-attacks. According to studies, 80% of security breaches are related to human error, and up to 95% of incidents are caused by employee error [3, 9]. These are very high figures that exemplify the true importance of having a well-trained cyber security workforce.
In industrial environments, this problem is exacerbated. OT security teams often lack the training, resources and expertise to effectively detect and respond to security incidents. This gap creates mistrust in cyber security and exposes the organisation.
Moreover, the security culture in OT differs profoundly from that of IT. While IT prioritises confidentiality and integrity, OT has traditionally favoured availability and business continuity, relegating cyber security to the background. The fact that many industrial systems have operated for decades without serious incidents reinforces a false sense of security, which often results in resistance to change and rejection of new protection measures.
Another key factor is the presence of highly specialised and inflexible legacy systems and industry protocols, making it difficult to implement current security measures. This significantly increases the attack surface and makes human error have a greater operational impact.
Objectives: training and awareness-raising
The main objective of industrial cyber security training and awareness is to create a strong, cross-cutting security culture that is not limited to regulatory compliance, but encompasses all levels of the organisation, from management to plant operators, with a focus on prevention and incident response capability.
In OT environments, this means training staff to prevent incidents, recognise real threats and know how to respond to them. It should focus on best practices specific to the industrial environment, such as identifying OT-specific threats, incident reporting and the proper handling of critical devices and systems.
Beyond technical knowledge, awareness-raising must awaken a sense of shared responsibility, integrating cybersecurity as part of everyday life. Real and close examples, showing the physical, economic or even personal security consequences, are key to achieving a genuine and lasting understanding.
Ultimately, it is not just about complying with a policy or passing an audit but about making people the strongest link in the system, reducing human error and encouraging shared responsibility for infrastructure protection.
Strategies for staff awareness
Addressing industrial cybersecurity from the human factor requires a two-pronged strategy. On the one hand, training staff technically so that they can act correctly, and on the other hand, continuously raising their awareness so that they maintain a vigilant attitude. Both dimensions are equally important and must be adapted to the context of each organisation.
From the point of view of training, i.e. that employees acquire the necessary knowledge to comply with security measures, we can list the following strategies:
- Training tailored to the technical profile: courses and training designed specifically for a role. It is important that training is role-specific, avoiding information overload, which in turn increases content retention as you can contextualise it in your day-to-day work.
- Clear policies and procedures: it is necessary to be trained on internal regulations and policies within an organisation and that these are clear and correctly adapted to the technical context. Many errors can arise from misinterpretations or lack of concrete guidelines.
- Vulnerability management: teach staff how to identify, report and address different security vulnerabilities and breaches in both software and hardware. For in industrial environments many use legacy systems
From an awareness-raising point of view, we focus on getting employees to acquire a security mindset and culture, strategies may include:
- Simulations of real attacks: For one thing, you can see how vulnerable the industry is and it helps employees learn about the magnitude of the attack and the response from a practical rather than just a theoretical point of view, thus reinforcing their knowledge. In addition, it allows them to see what aspects of human behaviour are at fault so that they can be predicted and corrected.
- Bonus or rewards: Some companies implement reward or bonus strategies as an incentive to encourage secure behaviour. This strategy increases participation and transforms security into something active, not imposed, which is quite common because until an attack is received, one is not aware of the full consequences. This is based on rewards for those who identify threats or comply with good practices. There is also the counterpart of penalties for non-compliance.
- Continuous communication: keep staff informed through short information pills, internal alerts, news or updates on cyber-attacks in the sector. This reinforces that the message lasts over time, as one-off training is forgotten and keeps the security and danger in the mind of the employee.
Consequences of not training staff
As mentioned in previous points, the human factor is the weakest link and attackers are aware of this, which is why it remains one of the most common and effective attack vectors in any environment. In the case of OT networks, where systems control physical processes, the lack of staff training and awareness multiplies the risk of serious incidents.
Knowing this, it is common sense that poorly trained employees open the door to avoidable mistakes that can result in successful attacks, the consequences of which go far beyond a loss of data:
- Social engineering cyber-attacks. Staff can be more easily fooled
- Operational stoppages or interruptions
- Lack of responsiveness. If staff do not know how to respond to an anomaly or threat, they may ignore signals, fail to report incidents or make poor decisions which can lead to increased damage, spread of the attack and loss of control.
- Compromise of physical security. In OT environments the digital and physical are closely linked, altering security parameters or triggering out-of-control processes or disabling security measures can lead to workplace accidents and physical damage.
- Loss of confidence and penalties, as a poorly managed incident affects the company’s image and if negligence in staff training is proven, there may be financial penalties.
InprOTech
The raison for being of InprOTech is to comprehensively protect industrial cybersecurity, combining advanced technology, expert knowledge and a methodology adapted to the reality of the sector.
Committed to the goal of a safe industry, we offer a range of services that cover the main needs of any safety-conscious industrial organisation:
- Training and awareness-raising in industrial cybersecurity: Our training programmes are designed to suit different profiles, from plant operators to technical managers. We don’t just teach concepts: we train in context, integrating cyber security into daily tasks and fostering a strong culture throughout the organisation.
- Strategic consulting and OT audits: Specialists in strategic safety audits and specific audits for the automotive sector (TISAX).
- Technical consultancy and ICS penetration testing: we know that availability is key in OT. That is why we have developed our own security assessment methodology, based on IT standards, but carefully adapted to the particularities of the industrial world.
Finally, InprOTech offers the InprOTech GUARDIAN service, a cybersecurity technology specifically designed and developed to protect industrial networks. Among its main objectives (in addition to generating an inventory of OT and wireless devices), is to monitor the traffic generated in production environments and analyse it based on a combination of static rules, an IDS, artificial intelligence and honeypots. This approach makes it possible to effectively identify threats and issue real-time alerts, directly notifying plant managers and/or operators of possible attacks or operational failures, so they can anticipate and reduce their impact.
InprOTech GUARDIAN allows to centralise all the knowledge needed for plant defence, guiding both technical and non-technical staff, and helping to accelerate learning.
In industrial cybersecurity, the human factor remains the biggest risk, and only through continuous training and adapted awareness-raising can this vulnerability be reduced. The combination of technical training, awareness-raising strategies and specific tools makes it possible to create a real security culture.
In this context, InprOTech GUARDIAN is positioned as a comprehensive solution, capable of providing visibility, contextual learning and threat response. A tool that not only protects, but also educates, guides and empowers employees and the industry.
Recursos
[1] Importancia de Concienciación y formación en ciberseguridad
[2] ¿Qué es la seguridad de OT? | IBM
[3] Dolbuck Seguridad Informática – El factor humano en la ciberseguridad
[4] Comparación: seguridad de TI y OT: diferencias clave
[5] InprOTech – Ciberseguridad Industrial
[6] Why organisations need OT security awareness training – Secolve
[7] Enhancing OT security awareness through culture, training, and leadership – Industrial Cyber
[8] Creación de una fuerza laboral calificada para satisfacer las demandas de la ciberseguridad de OT