The primary challenges include the inability to patch or update many CPS devices, lack of visibility into these devices, and the increasing sophistication of threats like ransomware and data exfiltration that exploit these vulnerabilities.
Key takeaways
- Visibility is power. In today’s interconnected world, cyber-physical systems (CPS) like MRI machines and HVAC controllers are prime targets for ransomware and data exfiltration. The integration of Armis Centrix™ and Akamai Guardicore Segmentation gives organizations the power to see and protect these critical devices, even if they can’t support traditional security agents.
- Proactive segmentation. Simply knowing which IoT/OT or medical devices are on your network isn’t enough. This joint solution allows you to apply contextual segmentation policies based on real-time device intelligence, effectively isolating high-risk assets and stopping threats in their tracks.
- Compliance and insurance. Cyber insurers are starting to look for CPS segmentation when underwriting policies, and this solution helps organizations quickly meet compliance standards like HIPAA, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001, while also potentially lowering insurance premiums.
- Unified security operations. The integration simplifies security operations by unifying IT and OT segmentation controls, reducing the overall attack surface, and providing a single interface for monitoring and control. No need to rip and replace your existing infrastructure in order to secure it.
- Real-world impact. In a healthcare setting, for example, this solution can prevent ransomware from spreading from a vulnerable workstation to critical medical devices, ensuring patient safety and operational continuity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
This integration provides agentless discovery and classification of all assets, including unmanaged CPS devices. It also offers contextual risk insights and the ability to enforce segmentation policies based on real-time device intelligence, effectively reducing the attack surface and stopping lateral movement.
Agentless discovery is crucial because many CPS devices cannot support traditional security agents. This ensures that all devices, regardless of their capabilities, can be identified and classified, providing a comprehensive view of the network.
Our Reveal map visualizes and monitors communication paths across different environments, down to the process level, making it easier to identify and isolate high-risk assets. This unified visibility is essential for proactive threat management and assuring compliance.
Risk-based segmentation involves building and enforcing policies that are tailored to the specific risks associated with each device. For instance, policies can be based on the manufacturer, device type, operating system, or Armis risk score. This approach ensures that only necessary and secure communication is allowed, significantly reducing the risk of breaches.
Gartner projects that by 2027, 75% of CPS-intensive organizations will adopt CPS protection platforms. These kinds of solutions will be essential for moving beyond passive monitoring to deliver real-time remediation and risk reduction, aligning with the growing need for integrated and proactive security solutions for IoT/OT devices and cyber-physical systems.
In a hybrid CPS environment, Armis identifies and flags high-risk, unpatchable assets, while Akamai applies segmentation rules to prevent unauthorized east-west communication on the device side or the server side. If an attack begins, the ability to move laterally is immediately blocked, containing the infection and protecting critical infrastructure.
Key benefits include gaining full visibility into unmanaged devices, applying contextual segmentation policies, reducing the risk of ransomware and other threats, speeding up compliance with regulatory standards, and satisfying insurance requirements, all while simplifying security operations and minimizing disruption.