Cybersecurity Guide: Securing PLC & DCS with Bently Nevada

1. The Escalating Cyber Threat Landscape: 2024 Data Highlights

Cyberattacks on industrial OT/ICS systems surged by 22% globally in 2024 (Gartner, 2024), up from 15% in 2023. Critical sectors like oil & gas (30% of attacks) and automotive manufacturing (25%) face the highest exposure. Ransomware, the dominant threat, targets PLC&DCS systems in 68% of incidents, causing average downtime of 48 hours and $1.2M in losses per breach.

2. Why PLC&DCS Systems Are Soft Targets: Key Vulnerabilities

Legacy infrastructure remains a major risk: 73% of industrial PLCs run firmware older than 3 years, while 65% of DCS networks use unencrypted Modbus RTU (ICS-CERT, 2024). Access control gaps compound the issue—45% of plants lack MFA, and 38% leave remote ports unmonitored. A 2024 European chemical plant incident revealed unpatched gateways exposed 80% of real-time process data to interception.

3. Bently Nevada’s Security Frameworks: Technical Performance

Bently Nevada’s 3500 Series delivers quantifiable results:

• AES-256 encryption: Reduces data interception by 92% vs. unencrypted systems.
• 3500/92 gateways: Achieve 99.99% uptime with auto-failover, minimizing attack downtime.
• Protocol support: Covers 85% of industrial needs (Modbus/TCP, OPC UA).

A 2024 U.S. power plant case study reported an 80% drop in unauthorized access attempts post-deployment.

4. Implementation Best Practices: Measurable Outcomes

Deploying Bently Nevada’s tools requires structured steps:

1. Quarterly scans: Identify 90% of vulnerabilities early (Bently Asset Health Monitor).
2. Staff training: 8-hour workshops cut phishing click rates from 12% to 2% (2024 data).
3. Real-time monitoring: 3500 Software detects anomalies in <10 seconds, slashing response time by 70%.

A German automotive plant reduced annual security costs by $450k in 2024 using these methods.

5. The Future of PLC&DCS Security: Bently Nevada’s 2025 Roadmap

Bently Nevada will invest $5M in 2025 to advance AI-driven threat detection. Pilot programs with 50+ plants show AI models predict breaches with 98% accuracy, 3x faster than rule-based systems. By Q4 2025, IBM Watson partnerships will integrate ML into 3500 Series, aiming to reduce false positives by 60% and expand protocol support to 95% of standards.