D3-OPM

Detect
Operational Process Monitoring

Definition

Monitoring physical parameters and operator actions related to an operational environment.

How it works

While some Operational Technology systems are designed to operate without human intervention, most systems are designed with the ability to monitor and modify the physical process with user input.

This technique detects adversarial risks to operational processes by observing physical events and operator actions and analyzing event logs.

Key steps in operational process security monitoring are:

1. Read logs generated by controllers, and HMIs, through DAU's and DA agents;

2. Produce digital event records;

3. Display the aggregated data to a device such as an HMI or process historian, and write those records to event logs and/or to the OT process data historian for traceability and incident reconstruction.

4. Monitor the procees and detect incidents or indicators of tampering such as:

malfunctions

unauthorized commands,

unsafe setpoint changes,

alarm suppression, and

anomalous mode transitions;

Artifact Relationships

This defensive technique relates to specific digital artifacts.

monitors
uses
Operational Process Monitoring
Event Log
OT Process Data Historian

References

Reference - NIST SP 800-82R3 Guide to Operational Technology (OT) Security, Section 6.2.1.4.5 Password Authentication