A new class of technology promises to combine the security of an “air gap” with the connectivity needed to efficiently manage both modern and legacy operational technology (OT) systems. In September 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Critical Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommended the use of one-way communication diodes to protect control systems in its release of “Critical Infrastructure Control Systems Cybersecurity Performance Goals and Objectives.” The technology category has been around for a while, protecting highly critical assets like nuclear power plants, but data diodes have seen dramatic advancements in capability and cost over the past few years.
A recent project, under the DoD Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), evaluated whether next-generation data diodes provide a secure, practical, low-cost way to get data out of OT assets and into the hands of operators. Led by Fend Incorporated and with support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the project evaluated whether this new class of U.S.-made hardware can provide enhanced operational intelligence and security. This webinar will describe the project, the results, and several use cases for industrial data diodes.