Many industrial control systems used in the food industry are quite old, highly customized, and were not designed with security in place or with the ability to be made secure through updating. Yet, more of these legacy systems are being connected to workstations on corporate networks, thus offering an entryway for hackers to other vital systems, according to the Food Protection and Defense Institute (FPDI) at University of Minnesota. Given the vulnerabilities identified in the food industry and the increasing threats to ICSs, it is critical that food companies have the tools, techniques and knowledge to protect themselves.
We reached out to John T. Hoffman, senior research fellow with the FDPI, and Mackenize Morris, senior industrial consultant at Dragos Inc. and ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance member for more on this subject, as well as a few security tips to keep your data intact.