Trusted CI is pleased to announce the publication of its Roadmap for Securing Operational Technology in NSF Scientific Research.
In 2022, Trusted CI conducted a year-long effort examining the security of operational technology in science. Operational technology (OT) encompasses broad categories of computing and communication systems that in some way interact with the physical world. This includes devices that either have sensing elements or control elements, or some combination of the two, and can include both bespoke scientific instrumentation as well as commercially-produced OT. In both cases, networked sensors and control systems are increasingly important in the context of science as they are critical in operating Major Facilities.
Trusted CI’s approach to this effort was to spend the first half of 2022 engaging with NSF personnel and operators of OT at NSF Major Facilities to understand the range of operational practices and evaluate potential deficiencies that lead to vulnerabilities and compromises. In the second half of 2022, leveraged our insights from the first half to develop a roadmap of solutions to sustainably advance security of scientific operational technology. The audiences for this roadmap include NSF, NSF Major Facilities, and Trusted CI itself.
In July 2022, Trusted CI published its findings from its study of the security of operational technology in science, conducted in the first half of 2022.
Emily K. Adams, Daniel Gunter, Ryan Kiser, Mark Krenz, Sean Peisert, Susan Sons, andJohn Zage. “Findings of the 2022 Trusted CI Study on the Security of Operational Technology in NSF Scientific Research,” July 13, 2022. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6828675 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6828675
Now, with the publication of this roadmap, Trusted CI aims to help NSF operational technology in cyberinfrastructure advance toward solutions. The full citation for the solutions roadmap is as follows:
Andrew Adams, Emily K. Adams, Dan Gunter, Ryan Kiser, Mark Krenz, Sean Peisert, and John Zage. “Roadmap for Securing Operational Technology in NSF Scientific Research,” November 16 2022. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7327987 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7327987
Trusted CI gratefully acknowledges the many individuals from NSF as well as the following NSF Major Facilities that contributed to the year-long effort that has led to this roadmap: IceCube Neutrino Observatory, NOIRLab, Ocean Observatories Initiative, United States Academic Research Fleet, and the United States Antarctic Program.
In 2023, Trusted CI will turn its focus toward working closely with several maritime-centric NSF Major Facilities and Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) projects to offer guidance and recommendations for integrating operational technology security into those facilities for planning, design, and construction of new and refreshed facilities and instrumentation therein.