What Is Asset Visibility and Why Does It Matter?

Asset visibility is a critical component of operational technology (OT) cybersecurity. But what exactly is asset visibility, and why is it so crucial for organizations operating in OT environments?

Asset visibility means having a comprehensive awareness of all devices, systems, and components within an OT network, including industrial control systems (ICS), IT devices, Internet of Things (IoT), and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) assets. Effective operational technology (OT) asset visibility provides a real-time asset inventory, their setups, and how they interact. Achieving this requires deploying network monitoring tools.

OT environments present unique challenges when it comes to maintaining asset visibility of operational technology:

• Complex, proprietary protocols that can’t be monitored by traditional IT tools
• Continuously running industrial control systems that can’t be taken offline easily
• A diverse range of equipment from various manufacturers
• Legacy systems that may not support modern security practices

These factors contribute to a significant problem: 61% of industrial organizations struggle to effectively monitor their critical assets, limiting visibility into their risk landscape.

As the connections between industrial control systems, enterprise IT, and cloud technologies multiply, security challenges also multiply. In a recent SANS webcast titled “The Business Risks of Ignoring ICS Security,” ICS course instructors and subject matter experts Tim Conway, Dean Parsons, Jason D. Christopher, and Dragos CEO and co-founder Robert M. Lee highlighted asset visibility as crucial to understanding and mitigating rising threats to ICS environments.
Here are a few reasons why asset visibility is so important:

• Risk Management: Without knowing what assets are in your environment, you can’t effectively assess or address potential vulnerabilities.
• Threat Detection: Comprehensive asset visibility helps security teams detect threats more accurately and quickly spot anomalies or potential breaches.
• Operational Efficiency: Knowing what assets you have and how they interact boosts operational efficiency and helps with troubleshooting.
• Compliance: Many regulatory frameworks require organizations to maintain an up-to-date inventory of their assets.
• Incident Response: In a security incident, a comprehensive asset inventory can significantly speed up response and recovery.

The consequences of inadequate asset visibility can be severe:

• Increased vulnerability to cyber attacks
• Difficulty in prioritizing security efforts
• Inefficient resource allocation
• Potential compliance violations
• Longer incident response times

The Dragos Platform addresses the asset visibility challenge in OT environments through:

• Automated Discovery: Continuous monitoring and automated asset discovery across all levels of the OT environment.
• Comprehensive Inventory: Provides a real-time, accurate asset inventory that includes detailed information about each asset.
• Contextual Understanding: Maps relationships between assets to identify potential risks and vulnerabilities.
• Non-Invasive Monitoring: Uses passive monitoring techniques to ensure operational continuity.
• Integration: Seamlessly integrates with existing security systems to enhance overall visibility and security posture.

“Over time, as we’ve monitored the infrastructure and learned how our devices are talking, we have a better sense of what is happening in our network. Girded with that knowledge and the Dragos Platform tool suite, we hunt for issues, intrusions, and improperly configured devices, thereby increasing our security footprint across the organization.”
- A Wind Farm case study highlights the platform’s effectiveness

Asset visibility is the comprehensive awareness and real-time monitoring of all devices, systems, and components within an operational technology network. This includes industrial control systems (ICS), IT devices, IoT, and IIoT assets, providing organizations with a complete asset inventory and understanding of how these components interact.

Asset visibility is essential for ICS security because it serves as the foundation for effective risk management, threat detection, and incident response. Without comprehensive visibility into your asset inventory, organizations cannot assess vulnerabilities, detect anomalies, or respond quickly to security incidents. As industrial systems become more connected, asset visibility becomes even more critical for protecting against cyber threats.

Asset visibility improves threat detection by enabling security teams to establish baseline behaviors for all network assets and quickly identify deviations that may indicate security threats. With a complete asset inventory and understanding of normal operations, security professionals can more accurately detect unauthorized access, unusual communications, and potential cyber attacks targeting industrial control systems.

Asset visibility is the foundation of a robust OT cybersecurity strategy. By using network monitoring tools to keep a clear view of their industrial assets, organizations can better protect critical infrastructure, boost operational efficiency, and respond more effectively to threats. As industrial control systems become more complex and connected, asset visibility will become even more important.