Authored by Aaron Anderson, IT Administrator
With so many moving parts, it is critical to be aware of any risk that could compromise your egg operation.
We don’t have to tell you about the financial implications of having operations shut down even for one day, so it is critical to be as proactive as possible against potential threats. One of the main threats involves an ominous force that often strikes from the shadows: cyber attacks.
This article addresses important ways to create a system of defense that is resilient to cyber attacks. The good news is, there are ways to put up a strong defense. In this article, we will show who the real cyber enemy is, along with 3 ways our customers can stay protected.
The Threat: Cyber Attacks
Any company that uses networks and software to run operations understands how detrimental it is if software or networks were to become compromised in any way. With all of the moving parts involved in the egg industry, it is critical to be proactive with protecting the brain of the operation – your control system. Being reactive about any threat that can compromise your operation poses a huge liability.
You’ve heard of terms like cybersecurity, malware, and viruses – but just who exactly are these threats coming from? Here’s who your operation is up against:
Cybercriminals are organized groups or individuals who use their cyber attacks to make money or cause harm to critical infrastructures, such as the food industry. They scan for vulnerabilities, exercise social engineering, and figure out how to attack systems. Typically, this is done through ransomware. The ransomware encrypts data on a system and the cybercriminal sells the decryption key back to the victim.
Hacktivists are cybercriminals, but with an ideological agenda. They commonly aim within the crosshairs of animal rights and environmental activist groups. Hacktivists in this context focus on animal welfare issues within the poultry industry.
Insider Threats come intentionally or otherwise from your employees. They are the most likely vector for a company to be introduced to malware, have their operations disrupted, or have data compromised.
Automated Attacks come from automated programs or malware that often spreads through phishing email campaigns or compromised websites. These are not targeted attacks, but broader campaigns aimed at hitting any vulnerable target possible.
Clearly we don’t want anything to do with any of these threats, but the most important first step to being protected is to know the threat.
So, what can we do to ensure our control systems are as protected as possible?
The solution: 3 Ways To Protect Your Operation
While we can’t eliminate criminal activity, we can protect you from it. That’s why at Prism we are continuously working behind the scenes to keep our System As A Service (SaaS) up to date on the latest and greatest security measures. Speaking of security measures, here are three ways your control system should be protected.
#1 Make sure the computer is updated regularly
You know those pesky notifications you get about updating your computer? You might want to pay attention to those because an updated computer is one of the best ways to protect against cyber threats.
There’s just one big problem: sometimes updates can crash your control systems or cause things to start functioning abnormally. While updates are imperative, they can cause some hiccups in the system. This is why you should never just update your Windows software without ensuring the new update plays nicely with your control systems.
As you may have seen, we have our SaaS customers schedule their software updates. There are three reasons we have them do this:
- We only recommend updates that we have tested to ensure your control operating system still functions as it should.
- We are available in case something happens to revert back to the Windows version that properly runs your system.
- In order to update, we need to do a system reboot and we want to make sure that happens at the optimal time for your operation.
Once you schedule an update with our team and we implement the update, your Windows software will be the strongest it can be to keep out unwanted cyber threats.
#2 Only use your control computer for control operations
The two primary ways most cyber attacks happen are by surfing on the internet and using email. Both of those things seem like normal activities to do on a computer, right? Well, they are normal activities on your personal computer. When you are using a computer directly connected to barn operations and it is compromised, your operation is in big trouble. Of course, you should always be careful on your personal computer, but that’s a conversation for another day.
So here’s the simple but imperative tip: Only use your control computers for control system operations. Sure, it’s way more convenient to use a control computer instead of making that long trek to the office – but I assure you it’s not worth the risk of cyber attack.
Only using your control computer for the control system is a sure way to have another mental checkbox checked to ensure you are doing proper protective work against cyber attacks. While this can be implemented as an organizational policy, there is a better way to ensure your control computer isn’t used for email and web surfing. It’s called Web Content Control, and is implemented with an Anti-Malware tool.
#3 Have an anti-malware tool
We know keeping the computer up to date and not using it for internet activities are great ways to mitigate attacks. However, there is still a missing link.
We need to have software tools that are working around the clock to catch potential threats before they can even become a problem. We also need to have safeguards in place so that if an individual tried to use the computer for an activity that would create vulnerability to attack, they wouldn’t be able to.
An anti-malware tool detects, protects, and removes known malware. It also creates a firewall and enforces web content controls.
Term Definitions
A Firewall is like a security guard. It checks everything going in or out of the computer against a list, and blocks everything that’s not on the list.
Web Content Control solutions can help strengthen an organization’s online security by preventing users from accessing unsafe or inappropriate content.
Malware is software created to interfere with, damage, or illegally access a computer system.
We have a new and robust anti-malware tool coming to our SaaS customers soon, and we are excited about it!
How To Implement
So, how do you actually implement these tips to your control system? The best way to make sure your system is protected is to ensure your hardware and software are updated and equipped. That’s why we created our SaaS product. We wanted to create a system that solves your common control problems, including security threats, in a way that helps your operation continually improve. When you join SaaS at Prism, you’ll not only receive a new computer, you will also be upgraded to the latest and greatest models in the future. No more holding onto that old dusty computer and wondering when it is going to die or whether it’s properly protecting your system.
Each of the computers we provide have a QR on it that you can use to schedule a pre-tested update with us. We want to make sure your secure update goes smoothly and your control system is protected and ready to get those eggs flowing.
On top of secure pre-tested updates, our computers are equipped with our new and powerful anti-malware software BitDefender to protect your control system from compromise and prevent misuse of control computers.
Beyond security, joining SaaS has other amazing advantages:
- Your NOAH and REF software is kept up to date
- We will monitor your hardware for you to maintain optimal performance
- Your data is regularly backed up
- If your hardware goes down, we will replace it within 48 hours
- And more!
If you want to learn more about how SaaS will keep your software protected and up to date, contact your commercial account manager or shoot us an email sales@prismcontrols.com. We look forward to helping you!