Pet Food Processing - May 2024 - 66

OPERATIONS
Because more
processors are
employing Industry
4.0 principles
to create smart
manufacturing
factories, it's
crucial to protect
all systems from
potential cyber
threats.
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scurity, but in the days of the digital transformation,
we have connectivity between IT and OT (operational
technology) for business, and what we've done is made
a larger threat surface for attackers to expose, " Agee said.
The costly WannaCry and NotPetya ransomware attacks
in 2017 opened many eyes to the need to focus
on security within operational technology and the importance
of assessing supply chain vulnerabilities, Agee
said. Ensuring safety across the supply chain is important
because if a processor loses even one supplier, products
can't be made. He said requiring suppliers to have a
certain level of security and reserving the right to audit
suppliers can help improve safety.
Agee emphasized the importance of implementing five
critical controls for effective security within operational
technology, and these controls include having an OTspecific
incident response plan with a vendor on retainer
to help in the event of an attack. The other controls include
having a defensible architecture, visibility, secure remote
access and vulnerability management controls.
Hoffman also stressed the importance of security for
operational technology.
" OT systems are the greatest vulnerability, " Hoffman
said. " We spend a lot of money across all infrastructure trying
to protect business and financial records because that's
where they used to target things. But most of the major
penetrations occur probably as a result of a social media
penetration, and what they target is gaining access to OT. "
He said most of these OT systems are maintained by a
third party and are essentially unprotected.
Managing remote vendor access is important to reducing
vulnerabilities, and Pichoff said limiting the systems
vendors can access, implementing user credentials,
using multi-factor authentication and disabling dormant
accounts are all actions that can improve security when
it comes to providing remote access.
Ransomware attacks are a large risk for pet food
manufacturers as they are often targeted with schemes
as manufacturers are perceived as vulnerable to pay66
PET FOOD PROCESSING | May 2024 | www.petfoodprocessing.net
ing ransoms to prevent costly downtime, said Ryan
Thompson, CRB's senior specialist for Industry 4.0.
" Ransomware is a game of numbers, and people
throw out emails and attack because the cost is super
low, " Thompson said. " It's a numbers game. You're not
going to be targeted specifically, but you're going to be
targeted or you're going to be hit accidentally. It will
have devastating consequences. "
Training employees and making sure they understand
cybersecurity risks is also critical.
" Giving people access to computer systems is the biggest
risk, and you see that through phishing attacks specifically, "
Thompson said. " You really need people to be cyber aware.
Building that culture into your system is important, training
people on good cyber hygiene practices, and getting
them to acknowledge that they're the biggest risk. "
Running on old operating systems and not patching
or updating systems is yet another risk, Thompson said.
Automation equipment needs to be upgraded before
mechanical equipment does, and accounting for that in
project planning and cost modeling can prevent those
costs from becoming a burden on the business. Instead,
Thompson said such costs should be a part of the company's
capital structure.
Combining an operating system from an outside
source and linking it to company devices with unique
codes also creates vulnerabilities, Hoffman said.
" Our approach to code and software and how we put
things together needs to be reexamined and needs a fundamental
change, " Hoffman said.
Keeping consumer information protected is also important.
Direct-to-consumer pet food companies face
risks by having a consumer-facing portal that requires
protecting consumer data and credit card numbers,
Thompson said.
Taking preventive action
Being proactive in cybersecurity is critical, and while
larger companies often have dedicated employees re
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