Have you experienced driving when your senses tell you something just isn't right? Your vehicle may display subtle signs of trouble through a gentle steering wheel vibration or an unusual engine noise. Your instincts alert you to potential problems before any dashboard warning lights activate.
Good anomaly detection systems identify minor trouble signs on factory floors to prevent them from turning into major disasters. In current industrial settings where operational technology faces rising cybersecurity threats this early warning system has become essential.
Let's face it: Air-gapped industrial networks are becoming historical relics. Connecting industrial systems to enterprise networks and the internet makes them vulnerable to longstanding IT threats. However, the stakes are much higher.
An OT breach has the potential to halt production lines while causing damage to expensive equipment and creating safety hazards. New research reveals that cyberattacks against industrial sectors have risen significantly and manufacturing has emerged as one of their main targets.
The security approach known as "security by obscurity" has become ineffective. Attackers demonstrate greater sophistication through their focused attacks on industrial control systems along with PLCs, HMIs, and sensors. OT networks traditionally prioritize operational functionality and reliability instead of security measures which contrasts with IT networks that implement multiple security layers.
Traditional IT security tools such as firewalls and antivirus software provide some protection but they cannot fully secure OT environments. While these security tools focus on detecting known threats and signatures they fail to address potential unknown threats. How can we detect problems through behavioral changes before malware signatures become visible?
Anomaly detection serves as an essential tool to find deviations from regular patterns which could signal a security breach or equipment failure that potentially disrupts production operations. Paessler PRTG demonstrates its exceptional capabilities within industrial settings.
PRTG Network Monitor has advanced past standard IT monitoring into a complete industrial environment monitoring solution. PRTG provides native industrial protocol support through OPC UA and Modbus TCP enabling unified monitoring of IT infrastructure and OT systems in one interface.
Effective anomaly detection begins with acquiring knowledge about what constitutes normal behavior in your specific environment. PRTG constantly analyzes your industrial network by gathering data from multiple sources to define baseline patterns:
After PRTG establishes these baselines it can detect changes which may represent security threats or operational challenges.
PRTG provides multiple methods to detect anomalies within industrial settings:
Unusual Detection: PRTG detects unusual values by identifying deviations from established historical patterns at the same times on different days or weeks. This feature is excellent at detecting unusual traffic patterns, which may indicate data theft or unauthorized commands.
Threshold-based alerts: Create specific limits for essential parameters to activate alerts when readings surpass normal levels. PRTG performs effectively in both tracking equipment performance and spotting potential security threats.
Sensor Factory: The powerful Sensor Factory sensor enables users to develop custom calculations from various sensor readings. You can analyze suspicious behavior by calculating the ratio between production volume and network traffic.
Protocol analysis: PRTG monitors industrial protocols, such as Modbus TCP and OPC UA, and notifies users of abnormal commands or out-of-sequence operations, which may indicate tampering attempts.
Integration with specialized tools: PRTG integrates seamlessly with specialized OT security tools such as Rhebo Industrial Protector which performs deep packet inspection on industrial protocols.
We'll examine this system in action by reviewing an actual aerospace manufacturing case study.
The aerospace supplier used PRTG software to monitor their IT systems and operational technology throughout their factory operations. The company manufactures precise aircraft components which require strict quality control because human lives depend on these parts' reliability.
The manufacturing setting contained numerous CNC machines and robotic assembly systems which worked alongside quality control stations all linked through industrial networks using Modbus TCP for their communications. They configured PRTG with this monitoring setup:
PRTG identified abnormal Modbus traffic patterns on the assembly line during an evening shift. The system displayed abnormal register access patterns and an elevated command frequency which did not correspond to the baseline activity expected during that specific production run and time of day.
The alerts prompted an immediate investigation which showed that a PLC had been incorrectly set up during standard maintenance operations earlier that day. A compromised engineering workstation connected to the PLC appeared to be the source of the misconfiguration during further analysis.
The organization managed to take control of the situation because they detected the anomaly early:
The incident response team assessed that the problem would have led to 24 hours of production downtime and quality issues if detected later which would devastate aerospace manufacturing processes.
The aerospace manufacturer faced significant challenges when implementing monitoring tools in their sensitive production environment. Through its Multi-Platform Probe capability PRTG enabled deployment on a hardened Linux-based device configured within a DMZ.
The deployment strategy enabled industrial environments to be monitored without needing Windows systems on the production floor thereby enhancing security and reliability.
Cybersecurity drives anomaly detection implementation yet its operational advantages reach well beyond security purposes:
Early warning for equipment issues: Unusual behavior patterns often precede equipment failures. Maintenance teams can plan service activities ahead of time by early anomaly detection before production suffers disruption.
Quality control: Process parameter deviations lead to product quality issues. PRTG helps operators identify abnormal conditions which could affect the quality of production.
Energy optimization: Equipment inefficiencies or problems could be revealed through abnormal energy usage patterns. Monitoring these patterns helps optimize energy usage.
Compliance documentation: In aerospace and other regulated sectors continuous monitoring generates proof that operational processes stay within established boundaries.
These best practices for using PRTG in OT environments have been developed from studied experiences of successful implementations to detect anomalies:
Start with a thorough asset inventory: Protection is impossible for systems which you have not taken inventory of. Maintain complete records of each device and connection along with the communication patterns within your OT setting.
Implement in phases: Start by monitoring essential systems and expand your monitoring range as you build expertise and assurance.
Tune thresholds carefully: False positives can lead to alert fatigue. Establish suitable thresholds for your specific environment after a period of careful consideration.
Create custom dashboards: PRTG mapping tools enable operators and security teams to monitor OT health and security status through visual dashboards.
Develop clear response procedures: All team members must understand the necessary actions when anomalies are detected. Maintain written protocols for responding to various alert categories.
Regular reviews and updates: Industrial environments change over time. Consistently check and revise your monitoring setup to maintain its effectiveness.
PRTG uses built-in sensors to directly interface with industrial protocols such as OPC UA and Modbus TCP which eliminates the need for protocol translators or gateway solutions. PRTG can identify protocol-specific anomalies which general-purpose monitoring tools often fail to recognize.
PRTG monitors specific Modbus registers or OPC UA tags essential to your process while sending alerts for abnormal value changes or unexpected communication pattern deviations.
Traditional security tools depend on threat signatures and therefore cannot defend against unknown zero-day attacks. PRTG uses anomaly detection by identifying abnormal behavior patterns instead of relying on predefined attack signatures.
PRTG identifies the impact of zero-day attacks by monitoring operational baselines and reporting deviations without knowing the exact attack method. PRTG detects anomalies by flagging unusual traffic patterns or unexpected device behavior regardless of the attack vector.
Operational technology environments focus heavily on system availability and reliability while often sacrificing security measures. PRTG maintains operational balance by providing deployment flexibility which protects critical systems from negative impacts.
PRTG enables passive monitoring configuration for scenarios where it is suitable to reduce disruptions to industrial systems during sensitive operations. The Multi-Platform Probe functions on hardened systems with adjustable monitoring intervals that limit network impact while maintaining effective security surveillance.
In industrial cybersecurity, entities that can detect threats early on are at an advantage. Once clear signs of a system breach appear, the opportunity to prevent damage is usually lost. PRTG's proactive anomaly detection system provides the visibility and early warnings essential to protecting your vital OT infrastructure.
The merging of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) systems creates a vital demand for monitoring solutions that cover both areas. PRTG offers complete monitoring capabilities across both traditional IT systems and industrial protocols which makes it the perfect choice for organizations aiming to protect their full technology stack.
Remember that aerospace manufacturer we discussed? Their early detection methods turned a potential crisis into a minor incident. Organizations must now embrace proactive capabilities because they serve as vital tools for ensuring industrial operations remain secure and reliable while maintaining operational integrity.
Are you ready to protect your operation technology environment by implementing full-scale anomaly detection solutions? We should set up a call to explore PRTG's capabilities for safeguarding your factory floor against developing threats.
And of course you are welcome anytime to test PRTG Network Monitor free for 30 days and experience a hassle-free monitoring experience.