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Top 20 PLC Secure Coding Practices Released

Over the years, PLCs have been insecure by default. Security good practices have been created and adopted for IT which can be seen in OWASP’s Top Ten Vulnerabilities list and Secure Coding Practices report. However, until recently there has not been an emphasis on the different features in PLCs or SCADA for security or how engineers can program PLCs more securely.

Most organization’s PLCs were not connected to the internet or anything outside their industrial control systems or other PLCs. However, the new mindset of  Industry 4.0 of the ongoing automation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practice has created more security risks and threats for OT networks.

Until now most security research that had to do with PLCs was more focused on how to exploit PLCs and how to alter the industrial processes. Luckily insecure PLCs haven’t been highlighted as the key reason for the most recent cyberattacks on industrial organizations. The more common IT threats have been the heart of attacks with targeted ransomware attacks as seen in the Colonial Pipeline attack. Despite only attacking the IT network, the company shut down its OT networks and operations which control its pipelines and distribute fuel as a precaution which resulted in a temporary gas shortage in the United States.

Another example of a recent breach where OT networks were threatened is the water plant in the city of Oldsmar, Fla. This attack showed the potential risks of a cyberattack and the lack of secure programming practices of PLCs could lead to a physical outcome, in this case, poisoning drinking water. These examples are proof that improved and more secure PLCs will lead to becoming the biggest benefit in preventing a process from getting into a bad state.

Top 20 Secure PLC Coding Practices

As our good friend, Jake Brodsky said in his recent S4x20 talk, “No one learns secure PLC coding at school.” The idea that engineers were expected to come out of college knowing the best practices for programming PCLs is a misconception in the industry. According to Jake, there is a massive knowledge gap for the typical engineer who is tasked with programming PLCs which is resulting in more troubles for different ICS security businesses.

The eye-opening talk was the initial spark to create the Secure PLC Programming Practices Project by Jake Brodsky, Dale Peterson, Sarah Fluchs and Vivek Ponnada and is hosted by the ISA (International Society of Automation) Global Cybersecurity Alliance. This new security initiative offers a free downloadable 44-page document that outlines the 20 best practices for engineers that program industrial controls and help improve the security of their systems. Little or no additional software tools or hardware are needed to implement them. They can fit into normal PLC programming and operating workflows.

These are tips and tricks for catching and avoiding problems during the whole lifecycle of the PLC and the application. One of the main goals of this initiative is that PLC vendors will start to integrate or provide templates with their product training to help customers employ these practices when programming their devices.

Here are the key best practices from the list that we feel relate the most to OT security:

Validate and Alert For Paired Inputs/Outputs

If you have paired signals, ensure that both signals are not asserted together. Alarm the operator when input/output states occur that are physically not feasible. Consider making paired signals independent or adding delay timers when toggling outputs could be damaging to actuators (for example, asserting forward and reverse together)

This is important for security reasons because if PLC programs do not account for what is going to happen if both paired input signals are asserted at the same time it could result in the PLCs becoming a good attack vector for cyber criminals. By ensuring that both signals are not asserted together it will help to avoid an attack scenario where physical damage can be done.

Leave Operational Logic in the PLC Wherever Feasible

HMIs provide some level of coding capabilities, originally aimed to help operators enhance visualization and alarming. However, the HMI doesn’t get enough updates to do totallizing or integration. There is also a latency between HMI and PLC which may interfere with the accuracy of such efforts. Furthermore, an HMI will restart far more often than most PLC equipment. It makes sense to keep such accumulators/counters/integrators/elapsed-time counters and so forth there. The HMI can always receive totalizers/counts from a PLC. Thus the operational logic program should rather stay in the PLC to remain complete and auditable.

This practice is beneficial for security because it allows consistency in verifying code changes. HMI coding has its change control apart from PLC, generally not with the same rigor which does not allow system owners to have a complete view and even losing important considerations. HMI’s do not include “forced signals” or changed value lists as PLCs or SCADAs.

Restrict Third-Party Data Interfaces

To strengthen the security of PLCs, it’s highly recommended to restrict the type of connections and available data for 3rd party interfaces. The different connections and data interfaces should be specifically defined and restricted for third parties to be allowed to have read and write capabilities for the required data transfer.

This practice limits the different exposures to 3rd party networks and equipment while authenticating external devices to prevent spoofing. Additionally, it limits the ability for intentional or unintentional modifications or access from 3rd party locations or equipment.

Trap False Negatives and False Positives for Critical Alerts

OT teams should identify the critical alerts and program a trap for those alerts. Most critical alerts for PLCs tend to occur when they are triggered by different conditions.  In some cases, an adversary will attack OT devices by suppressing the alert trigger which could cause a false-negative or false-positive alert. By setting up a trap to monitor the different triggers of alerts it will allow OT teams to detect the alert state for any deviation. A PLC can react much faster than an HMI and can be far more sensitive to these triggers.

By detecting and mitigating false negative or false positives of critical alerts caused by an adversary attack on OT equipment it will allow OT security teams to have a better understanding if their PLC is accessible and being tampered with.

Define a Safe Process State in Case of a PLC Restart

By commanding a PLC to restart in the middle of a working process, there shouldn’t be any issues when it comes to disruption to the process.  Make sure that the process it controls is restart-safe. If it is not practical to configure the PLC to restart-safely, you should define safe process state alerts to ensure that the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) have clear instructions for setting the manual controls so that the PLC will start up the process properly.

By defining a safe process state it eliminates potential unexpected behavior. The most basic attack vector for a PLC is to force it to crash or restart it. For many PLCs, it is not that hard to do, because many PLCs cannot cope well with unexpected inputs or too much traffic.  For example, the SCADafence research team found a remote CPU DoS vulnerability in Mitsubishi Electric iQ-R Series. This would allow an attacker to send a short burst of specially crafted packets over the MELSOFT UDP protocol on port 5006, which causes the PLC’s CPU to get into fault mode, causing a hardware failure. The PLC then becomes unresponsive and requires a manual restart to recover. This may be uncommon, but it is a basic attack vector if we take into account the malicious behavior of an attacker.

Using The Top 20 Secure PLC Coding Practices

In summary, at least half of these programming recommendations can be summarized as “Validate your inputs.” Many PLC programmers just assume that something physical doesn’t need to be validated. But it is possible to force inputs and it is possible for an HMI to push invalid data to a PLC. Plan for it.

The Top 20 Secure PLC Programming Practices is a great best practices guide that is the work of hundreds of PLC programmers, engineers, and security experts. This is a must-read for every OT security professional and PLC programmer, it is a specific guideline for coding a programmed PLC to help avoid a potential cyber-physical attack.

You can download the Top 20 Secure PLC coding practices document at www.plc-security.com.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About SCADAfence
SCADAfence helps companies with large-scale operational technology (OT) networks embrace the benefits of industrial IoT by reducing cyber risks and mitigating operational threats. Our non-intrusive platform provides full coverage of large-scale networks, offering best-in-class detection accuracy, asset discovery and user experience. The platform seamlessly integrates OT security within existing security operations, bridging the IT/OT convergence gap. SCADAfence secures OT networks in manufacturing, building management and critical infrastructure industries. We deliver security and visibility for some of world’s most complex OT networks, including Europe’s largest manufacturing facility. With SCADAfence, companies can operate securely, reliably and efficiently as they go through the digital transformation journey.

Industroyer: A cyber‑weapon that brought down a power grid

Five years ago, ESET researchers released their analysis of the first ever malware that was designed specifically to attack power grids

On June 12th 2017, ESET researchers published their findings about unique malware that was capable of causing a widespread blackout. Industroyer, as they named it, was the first known piece of malware that was developed specifically to target a power grid.

Indeed, Industroyer had been deployed to considerable effect a few months earlier – it caused thousands of homes in parts of Kyiv, Ukraine to lose power supplies for about an hour on December 17th, 2016, after the malware struck a local electrical substation. A few days later, ESET malware researcher Anton Cherepanov would start dissecting Industroyer.

A ticking bomb

Once planted, Industroyer spread throughout the substation’s network looking for specific industrial control devices whose communication protocols it could speak. Then, like a time bomb going off, it apparently opened every circuit breaker at once, while defying any attempts of the substation operators to regain easy control: if an operator tried to close a breaker, the malware opened it back up.

To clean up its footprint, the malware unleashed a data wiper that was designed to leave the substation’s computers inoperable and delayed the return to normal operations. Indeed, the wiper often failed, but had it been more successful, the consequences could have been much worse – especially in wintertime when a power outage can allow pipes filled with water to crack when they freeze.

A final malicious act was made by the malware to disable some of the protective relays at the substation, but that failed too. Without functioning protective relays in place, the substation equipment could have been at high risk of damage when the operators eventually reestablished electric transmission.

As Cherepanov and fellow ESET researcher Robert Lipovsky said at the time, the sophistication of Industroyer makes it possible to adapt the malware to any similar environment. In fact, the industrial communication protocols that Industroyer speaks are used not only in Kyiv, but also “worldwide in power supply infrastructure, transportation control systems, and other critical infrastructure systems (such as water and gas)”.

On the other hand, considering how sophisticated Industroyer was, its impact was ultimately rather underwhelming, as ESET researchers noted themselves back in 2017. Perhaps it was only a test for future attacks, or perhaps it was a sign of what the group behind it could do.

The work of Sandworm

The shenanigans of the malware, ESET researchers noted, mirror the malicious intentions of the people who created it. At a Virus Bulletin conference in 2017, Lipovsky highlighted that the “attackers had to understand the architecture of a power grid, what commands to send, and how that will be achieved”. Its creators went a long way to create this malware, and their objective was not just a power outage. “Some clues in the Industroyer configuration suggest they wanted to cause equipment damage and malfunction”.

At Black Hat 2017, Cherepanov also pointed out that it “seems very unlikely anyone could write and test such malware without access to the specialized equipment used in the specific, targeted industrial environment”.

In October 2020, the United States attributed the attack to six officers belonging to Unit 74455, aka Sandworm, a unit within Russia’s military intelligence agency GRU.

A comeback for Industroyer

Fast forward to 2022 and it’s no surprise that in the weeks just before and after Russia’s invasion on February 24th, ESET telemetry showed an increase in cyberattacks targeting Ukraine.

On April 12th, together with CERT-UA, ESET researchers announced they had identified a new variant of Industroyer that targeted an energy supplier in Ukraine. Industroyer2 had been scheduled to cut power for a region in Ukraine on April 8th; fortunately, the attack was thwarted before it could wreak further havoc on the war-torn country. ESET researchers assessed with high confidence that Sandworm was again responsible for this new attack.

A harbinger of things to come

In recent years, it’s become more than clear that the world’s critical infrastructure services are at major risk for disruptions. The string of incidents that have impacted critical infrastructure in Ukraine (and, indeed, other parts of the world) have awakened much of the public to the risks of cyberattack-induced power outages, water supply interruptions, fuel distribution disruptions, loss of medical data and many other consequences that can do far more than just disrupt our daily routines – they can be truly life-threatening.

Back in 2017, both Cherepanov and Lipovsky concluded their research blog with a warning that, five years later, still holds true: “Regardless of whether or not the recent attack on the Ukrainian power grid was a test, it should serve as a wake-up call for those responsible for security of critical systems around the world”.

Author: André Lameiras

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

10 reasons to change your monitoring software

Every change is for the better and we give you ten reasons to change your monitoring software.

Cuando se habla de cambiar de software, no sé por qué, me viene a la mente la compra de música. Bueno, yo soy de los de antes: vinilos, cassettes, a principios de siglo los CD y DVD… Claro, ahora es diferente, actualmente existe el pago por suscripción, que reproduce en línea, y donde generalmente se ofrece el álbum de turno o paquetes completos con muchas estrellas musicales…

We could start right there, highlighting the difference between “the cloud and the earth”, running software on the Internet versus having one on your own physical servers. Both have their costs, we know. In fact, we already gave detailed information in another article on the subject. Because before talking about changing your monitoring software we must start there, the money. That’s the reason why you will have to take into account several factors, so let’s go for pencil and paper (virtual) and let’s start numbering!

1) Pandora FMS offers several forms of installation and download, as well as modes of operation. That is one reason to consider switching monitoring software. This mechanism allows you to grow, and, if necessary, reinstall at any time. You don’t have to buy a whole package either: in Pandora FMS you start by installing the Community version and as you see the benefits for yourself, you can move on to installing and testing the Enterprise version, without obligations or hassle. There you will always have the installers, both online and offline, as many times as you need them.

2) Do you have a feature in mind that cannot be found in any monitoring software? Don’t be embarrassed, it happens. I, at the very least, am very picky about how to insert text and data into text or number boxes. When you focus on them, I like for the text to be selected in a specific color, for example. And don’t even let me begin on entering numerical amounts or phone numbers.

And Pandora FMS does not have exactly that requirement either… However, you just have to go through the Community version that is open source and through its forum to get the help you need to develop the idea.

Better yet, you may have already been successful but now you want a more ambitious and highly customized improvement for your company: try the Enterprise version, where they will give you professional advice and offer you extraordinary improvement plans tailored to your needs. After all, only you know what is best for your company and what it needs. An exactly tailored suit or smehting ready-to-wear ? You choose!

3) With Pandora FMS you will be able to monitor at first remotely, without interfering much in your work processes, continue with an advanced remote configuration and, if everything goes smoothly, advance to monitoring with Software Agents, which are installed on each device. While you change -and advance- Pandora FMS has already outlined the path until (for now) June 2023. Exploring and changing monitoring software can be done before it’s necessary, even if it’s late.

4) Using great monitoring software, widely used worldwide and also used by large corporations, is not a guarantee of good security. I invite you to read about the case that took many headlines in the press, social networks, radio and television. Take this chance to have a coffee and take a deep breath to come back, there are still six reasons to change your monitoring software.

5) Because you don’t believe in magic wands. Neither do I, and in Pandora FMS that is very clear for them. Each client has a different problem and it is necessary to adapt to each particular case. But it will not be by magic, you have to invest time and effort, and in that domain Pandora FMS offers decades of proven experience.

6) Because “we just know that we do not know anything”. Without the aim to go in depth into the philosophical field, we must always pay attention to constant learning. Perhaps the documentation of your software is quite poor and it would be a good time to change it. Pandora FMS has forums of users of the Community version, documentation, tutorials and this blog that you are reading today. With all of them you can learn at your own pace, but if you want or rather need a push – certification included – check out our training in monitoring. Psst, with the Enterprise license this last one is included, don’t miss the chance!

7) Another reason to change your monitoring software is indeed not to change anything! Perhaps you simply need a monitoring contingency plan or an alternative of audit or measurement of result comparison. For example, I am a client of DigitalOcean, a company that provides virtual computers and that has both monitoring processes (Software Agent type) in each droplet (virtual machine), as well as at large-scale with Prometheus in its hypervisors. However, remote checks and Pandora FMS Software Agents are more useful for me, which also helps me verify information. It is not that I don’t trust the monitoring software implemented by my own provider, but rather you must always have different options, see the full horizon to be able to choose the way forward.

8) Because two are better than one: eHorus is a remote access program that can later be integrated with Pandora FMS. EHorus remote access software can be integrated into Pandora FMS, so you may combine computer – or client – monitoring, find out the bandwidth consumption of your network, the software installed on your PC, see logs and events and connect to the computers you need from the monitoring console itself. Test without commitment nor cost for up to 10 devices.

9) Because three is better than one. We add another reason to change your monitoring software, Integria IMS. Fully compatible and integrated with Pandora FMS. Integria IMS incorporates your forms for clients in your own Web, feeding Integria IMS directly through API. In addition you will have access to lots of articles, downloadable files, multi language, categorized and with access control to manage incidences. Monitor changes and performances on your machines with Pandora FMS agents!

10) Is the “billiard ball” with the number ten missing? You yourself can add the tenth reason to change your monitoring software. Tell us about your experience with other software, you can leave your comments below, visit our channel at YouTube, Linkedin or Twitter.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About PandoraFMS
Pandora FMS is a flexible monitoring system, capable of monitoring devices, infrastructures, applications, services and business processes.
Of course, one of the things that Pandora FMS can control is the hard disks of your computers.

ESET joins ranks as a CVE Numbering Authority (CNAs)

BRATISLAVA – June 24, 2021 – Working in concert with Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®) Program, ESET, the leading Europe-based endpoint protection platform vendor, is authorized by the CVE Program as a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA).

Organizations designated as CNAs are responsible for the assignment of CVE IDs to vulnerabilities, and for creating and publishing information about the vulnerability in the associated CVE record.

The status means that ESET will be able to publish CVE records, including the CVE ID, descriptor, and references concerning vulnerabilities discovered in its own products and those discovered by ESET researchers in third-party products not covered by other CNAs. As a CNA, ESET can better fulfill its leadership role in innovating security technologies and product R&D and promoting high security standards in the broader IT ecosystem.

“Engaging in the international, community-driven Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®) Program brings us closer to our goal of supporting ongoing collaboration with the wider cyber security sector, as well as academic, business, and government stakeholders. Simultaneously, it allows our internal security and R&D teams to more efficiently and consistently address security weaknesses wherever they may be, and to remain proactive in fighting vulnerabilities and threats,” says Daniel Chromek, chief information security officer at ESET.

ESET is a strong believer in, as well as a practitioner of, the coordinated vulnerability disclosure process and publicly credits security vulnerability reporters for their efforts (if they do not wish to remain anonymous). If you have interest in hunting for vulnerabilities, or other security issues, in ESET products or websites, read more about our partnership with HackTrophy, or find out more here.

About Version 2 Digital

Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

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