Industry: Mining, Oil & Energy
Service: Professional Services
Location: Americas
Organization Type: Private
Employees: 10,001+
Dedicated IT Staff: 25
Needs And Requirements:
The client, a major energy operator managing complex Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) networks, required a non-intrusive security assessment to evaluate the resilience of its industrial network infrastructure.
The goal was to gain visibility into real-time network communications, identify misconfigurations, and detect any suspicious or malicious behaviors — all without interrupting ongoing industrial operations.
Main Challenges:
Operational Sensitivity: The ICS/OT environment supported critical production systems that could not tolerate any disruption, requiring an entirely passive approach with zero operational impact.
Visibility Gaps: The organization lacked comprehensive visibility into its OT network communications, device interactions, and protocol-level risks.
Complex and Diverse Protocols: The use of multiple industrial protocols (Modbus, OPC UA, SNMP, DNP3, BACnet, Siemens S7, EtherNet/IP) introduced potential misconfigurations and exposure points that were difficult to monitor manually.
Solution:
Vulnerability Assessment: Hitachi Cyber deployed a passive network analysis solution using a recognized industrial network monitoring platform. This allowed for safe, non-intrusive inspection of network traffic within the ICS and OT segments.
The engagement included:
- Monitoring and inspection of OT network communications to establish a baseline of normal activity.
- Analysis of industrial protocols (Modbus, OPC UA, SNMP, DNP3, BACnet, S7, EtherNet/IP) to identify unauthorized connections, insecure configurations, and deviations from best practices.
- Detection of anomalies, malicious behaviors, and potential lateral movement within the OT network.
- Evaluation of vulnerabilities and risk exposure specific to industrial assets and communication paths.
- Development of a prioritized action plan with tailored recommendations to strengthen network segmentation, access control, and protocol management.
Throughout the engagement, Hitachi Cyber acted as a trusted OT cybersecurity advisor, guiding the client on interpreting findings and aligning them with best practices for industrial cybersecurity.
Outcomes:
The assessment provided the client with unprecedented visibility into its OT environment, revealing communication patterns, misconfigurations, and protocol risks that had previously gone undetected. No operational disruptions occurred during the engagement, validating the effectiveness of the passive approach.
As a result, the client now has a clear roadmap for strengthening network segmentation, monitoring, and incident detection capabilities — ensuring better protection of critical infrastructure assets and improved resilience against cyber threats targeting industrial systems.
Next Steps:
The client is planning to collaborate further with Hitachi Cyber to implement the recommended remediation measures and enhance continuous monitoring across OT networks.
