Cybersecurity Conceptual Framework Applied to Edge Computing and Internet of Things Environments

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Govern

Aligned with the 'Govern' phase of the NIST 2.0 Framework and as a central part of the proposed Cybersecurity Framework, this phase involves establishing a robust governance structure that aligns cybersecurity policies with organizational objectives, risk management strategies, and compliance requirements. This phase emphasizes the need for clear roles and responsibilities, ensuring that stakeholders understand their obligations in managing the cybersecurity risks associated with interconnected devices and edge computing systems. It also involves developing and implementing policies that address the unique challenges posed by the dynamic nature of IoT environments, such as data privacy, device authentication, and incident response, while fostering a culture of security awareness and continuous improvement to adapt to evolving threats and technological advancements.


Identify

It focuses on developing a comprehensive understanding of the organization's assets, risks, and cybersecurity requirements. This involves identifying and categorizing all IoT devices, edge computing resources, and associated data flows to create an inventory that highlights vulnerabilities and potential threats. Organizations must assess their risk environment by considering the potential impact of cyber incidents on operational continuity, data integrity, and privacy. Furthermore, this phase emphasizes the importance of understanding specific regulatory and compliance obligations for IoT and edge computing, enabling organizations to effectively prioritize their cybersecurity efforts and establish a solid foundation for risk management and protection strategies tailored to the complexities of Industry 5.0.

Plan

It involves strategically defining security requirements and integrating them into the development and deployment processes from the outset. This phase emphasizes the importance of collaboration among cross-functional teams (including security, development, and operations) to identify potential security risks associated with interconnected devices and edge systems. Organizations must assess the unique challenges posed by IoT environments, such as device diversity, data privacy, and regulatory compliance, to create a comprehensive security framework that guides the design and implementation of secure architectures. Additionally, the PLAN phase includes the establishment of clear security policies, threat modeling, and risk assessments that inform the development lifecycle, ensuring that security considerations are integrated at every stage of the process. By proactively addressing security in the planning phase, organizations can enhance their resilience against cyber threats and foster a culture of security awareness in the Industry 5.0 environment.

It includes the identification and management of assets, such as hardware, software, and data, in order to understand which elements require protection.

Conduct risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and threats that may affect the organization's assets.

It involves collaboration among development, security, and operations teams to ensure that security considerations are integrated into planning and design.

Protect (Proteger)

It focuses on implementing appropriate safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical systems and data. This phase involves deploying security measures such as access controls, encryption, and secure communication protocols to protect IoT devices and edge computing infrastructure against unauthorized access and cyber threats. Organizations must also establish robust identity and access management practices to ensure that only authorized users and devices can interact with sensitive data and systems. Additionally, this phase emphasizes the importance of continuous monitoring and regular updates of security configurations, as well as training and awareness programs for employees that foster a culture of security. By proactively addressing vulnerabilities and implementing protective measures, organizations can enhance their resilience against cyber incidents in the smart industry.

Build and Verify

They focus on secure development and validation of applications and systems that interact with interconnected devices. One of the primary activities of this phase is for development teams to implement secure coding practices and leverage automation tools to integrate security controls directly into the software development lifecycle, ensuring that IoT applications are resilient against vulnerabilities and threats. Additionally, rigorous testing and validation processes must be employed to assess the security posture of the developed applications. This phase enables organizations to ensure that their IoT solutions are not only functional but also secure, thereby enhancing trust and security in the context of Industry 5.0."

It focuses on integrating appropriate security controls into the processes, so that security measures are incorporated into the architecture from the beginning.

It includes the implementation of data protection measures, such as encrypting sensitive information both at rest and in transit, integrating them into all processes, both technological and interpersonal.

It includes conducting security tests, such as static and dynamic application testing, to identify and correct vulnerabilities before deployment.

Detect

The Detect phase aids in the timely identification of cybersecurity events and anomalies that could indicate potential threats or breaches. This phase involves implementing continuous monitoring solutions that leverage advanced analytics, machine learning, and threat intelligence to detect unusual behavior patterns in interconnected devices and edge systems. Organizations must establish effective logging and alert mechanisms to capture relevant data from IoT devices and edge computing resources, enabling real-time visibility into their security posture. Additionally, the importance of conducting regular assessments and tests of detection capabilities is emphasized to ensure they can effectively identify emerging threats and vulnerabilities. By enhancing their detection capabilities, organizations can respond more quickly to incidents, minimizing potential damage and maintaining the operational integrity of smart industry processes.

Monitor

This phase focuses on continuous monitoring and evaluations of deployed applications and systems to ensure security and consistent performance. This involves implementing real-time monitoring solutions that track system behavior, user activity, and network traffic across interconnected devices and edge infrastructures, allowing organizations to detect anomalies and potential security threats in a timely manner. By utilizing advanced analytics, machine learning, and threat intelligence, organizations can gain insights into emerging vulnerabilities and attack patterns specific to IoT environments.

It includes centralized log management and analysis to facilitate the detection of anomalies and security events in development and operational environments.

It involves continuous monitoring of applications and infrastructure to detect security issues in real time, allowing for the rapid identification of potential incidents.

Response and Recover

This phase focuses on effectively managing and mitigating the impact of cybersecurity incidents, ensuring a swift return to normal operations. Organizations must establish and implement incident response plans that outline clear procedures for detecting, analyzing, and containing security incidents, including communication protocols. This involves leveraging automated response tools and action guides tailored to the unique challenges of IoT and edge computing environments. Additionally, it is essential to emphasize the importance of restoring affected systems and services to their normal functioning, ensuring data integrity and operational continuity. Organizations should develop and regularly test recovery plans that include data backups, system restoration processes, and post-incident analysis to identify lessons learned and improve future resilience.

Release, Deploy and Operate

It involves the smooth and secure transition of applications from development to production, while ensuring continuous operational integrity. In the Release phase, teams prepare the application for deployment by integrating security controls and compliance validations to ensure that all security requirements are met before the software becomes available. During the Deploy phase, automated deployment pipelines are used to facilitate the rapid and reliable launch of IoT applications on edge devices, incorporating security measures such as configuration management and vulnerability scanning to mitigate the risks associated with deployment. Finally, in the Operate phase, organizations continuously monitor the performance and security of deployed applications, leveraging real-time analytics and incident response protocols to address any emerging threats or operational issues. By integrating security throughout these phases, organizations can ensure that their IoT solutions are not only deployed efficiently but also resilient against cyber threats, thereby improving their overall security posture

It emphasizes the use of CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery) pipelines to automate the building, testing, and deployment of applications, incorporating security controls at each stage.

It involves the implementation of security controls and practices that can help contain and mitigate incidents as they occur in the production environment, as well as planning recovery processes, such as backups and failover strategies, to ensure that applications can be restored quickly and securely. Additionally, it includes reviewing and analyzing incidents after they occur to identify lessons learned and improve future responses.