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Protecting ICS and SCADA systems

Check Point Software Technologies has announced the new 1570R rugged security gateway to protect networks in critical infrastructure, Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and scada systems against all types of advanced Gen V cyber-threats. The 1570R delivers threat prevention security technology, ease of deployment and control, and reliability to the most demanding industrial settings such as power plants, automated factories and maritime fleets.

Securing today’s critical infrastructure, ICS and scada systems against cyber-attacks is more challenging than ever before as they are connected to complex, distributed networks and smart IoT devices using specialised protocols. IBM’s ‘2020 Threat Intelligence Index’ showed that targeted attacks against ICS and scada assets increased over 2000% in 2019, often involving nation-states or using ransomware to damage operations. The ‘SANS 2019 State of OT/ICS Cybersecurity Survey’ showed that 61% of incidents disrupted operational technology (OT). This expanded attack surface, the move to Industry 4.0 automation, and the rapid shift to remote working enforced by COVID-19 lockdowns, demands the most advanced, comprehensive security to stop threats propagating from employees’ laptops and mobiles to infect OT systems.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, attacks have increased against the OT networks and ICS/scada systems that manage critical infrastructure for energy, manufacturing, transportation, and utilities. The disruption these attacks caused has made security a higher priority – but it must also be easy for organisations to deploy, with automated protection that does not impact day-to-day operations,” said Robyn Westervelt, IDC’s research director, Security & Trust. “Check Point’s ICS Security solution and 1570R gateways couple network segmentation with automation and threat intelligence to protect critical infrastructure and prevent even the most sophisticated cyber-attacks from impacting production operations.”

The new 1570R Gateway delivers:

• Industry-leading performance and protection: 400 Mbps of threat prevention performance with over 60 security services to stop even zero-day attacks from disrupting operations. It enforces complete segmentation between IT and OT networks, and gives granular control across the OT environment.

• Complete security for complex scada and ICS environments: it identifies and secures over 1500 leading scada and ICS protocols and commands used in the utility and energy sectors, manufacturing, building management systems and IoT devices. The 1570R flexibly supports wired, Wi-Fi or LTE modem network connections, enabling easy, flexible security for smart city applications (smart parking meters, bus stops, smart lighting, environmental sensors) and smart grids (smart meters, substation automation).

• Rugged form factor: the 1570R’s solid-state form factor enables an extreme operational range from-40^oC to +75^oC. It is certified to the most stringent specifications (IEEE 1613 and IEC 61850-3) for heat, vibration, and immunity to electromagnetic interference.

The new 1570R replaces the 1200R rugged gateway. More information is available at https://www.checkpoint.com/products/industrial-control-systems-appliances/

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