SOP for the 'DDoS' Scenario in OT Environments

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Scenario: DDoS Attack in OT Sites!

Threat Type: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack
Impact:

  • Overloads ICS/SCADA networks, HMIs, and OT servers, disrupting operations
  • Prevents critical control commands from being processed
  • May serve as a distraction for secondary attacks (ransomware, intrusions)

THREAT DETECTION & IDENTIFICATION

Step 1: Detect Unusual Network Traffic

  • Identify excessive network bandwidth consumption & high latency
  • Monitor for multiple connection attempts from unknown IPs
  • Detect sudden surge in requests to OT devices (PLCs, HMIs, historians)

Step 2: Verify Attack Scope

  • Check if specific ICS/SCADA components are affected
  • Determine attack type (Volumetric, Protocol, Application-Layer DDoS)
  • Analyze firewall & SIEM logs for unusual traffic patterns

INCIDENT RESPONSE (IMMEDIATE ACTIONS)

Step 3: Contain & Isolate

  • Blacklist attacker IPs and restrict connections from suspicious regions
  • Rate-limit inbound traffic to ICS/SCADA networks
  • Activate DDoS protection mechanisms in firewalls & IDS/IPS

Step 4: Activate Incident Response Plan

  • Notify OT Security Team & ICS Incident Response Team
  • Escalate to CIRT (Cyber Incident Response Team)
  • Communicate with ISPs & upstream providers for traffic filtering

THREAT MITIGATION & NEUTRALIZATION

Step 5: Implement Traffic Filtering & Mitigation

  • Enable Geo-IP filtering to block malicious traffic sources
  • Deploy rate limiting & SYN flood protection
  • Divert traffic through a DDoS mitigation service if applicable

Step 6: Prevent Further Disruption

  • Identify any compromised OT assets (bots in the attack)
  • Ensure critical OT commands are processed via alternate routes
  • Isolate non-essential traffic from critical operations

SYSTEM RECOVERY & HARDENING

Step 7: Restore & Validate Systems

  • Validate that ICS/SCADA systems are stable after the attack
  • Conduct network traffic analysis to confirm attack termination

Step 8: Conduct Post-Incident Forensic Analysis

  • Analyze logs from SIEM, IDS, and firewalls to identify attack origins
  • Investigate if DDoS was a distraction for another attack

Step 9: Implement Preventive Measures

  • Deploy DDoS-resistant architecture (network segmentation, redundancy)
  • Harden firewall rules and implement adaptive traffic monitoring
  • Conduct DDoS simulation drills to improve response readiness

Recap

  • DDoS attacks on OT networks can cause severe disruptions—automated mitigation is essential.
  • Attackers may use DDoS as a cover for deeper infiltration—post-event analysis is crucial.
  • Multi-layered security (firewall rules, rate limiting, ISP collaboration) prevents recurrence.

#CPS #OT #XIoT #IoT #IIoT #IoMT #CPSSecurity #OTSecurity #IoTSecurity #CPS보안 #OT보안 #IoT보안

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