Download “A Simple Framework for OT Ransomware Preparation” White Paper
written by SANS Instructor, Lesley Carhart
OT Ransomware: Are You Prepared?
The numbers paint a stark reality: Downtime from an ICS/OT ransomware attack costs an average of $4.73 million per incident—and that’s before factoring in safety risks, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage.
Yet, many organizations remain unprepared:
- 52% of ICS facilities lack a dedicated incident response plan
- 20% of ICS operators are unaware if they even have one
- 45% of ICS network compromises stem from IT networks, where attackers exploit weak IT-OT integrations to infiltrate industrial systems. Despite this, many organizations still rely on IT-centric security controls that fail to address ICS-specific threats—leading to false positives, operational disruptions, and ineffective defenses.
Unlike IT breaches that lock up data, ICS/OT ransomware shuts down operations—disrupting power grids, crippling supply chains—putting lives at risk. Attackers don’t just want access; they leverage operational importance for maximum extortion.
Will your organization be ready to respond?
Your Guide for an OT-Specific Incident Response
IT incident response plans aren’t built for the realities of ICS/OT environments. This white paper provides a practical, engineering-driven framework for developing ransomware response playbooks tailored to industrial environments —emphasizing life safety, operational continuity, and realistic ICS tabletop exercises. With a focus on cross-disciplinary collaboration and sector-specific threats, the guide outlines how to detect, contain, eradicate, and recover from ransomware attacks without compromising industrial operations. It also underscores the importance of treating response plans as living documents—continually tested and refined as environments and threats evolve.
OT Ransomware Response Starts with Prepared People
Defending against ICS-specific threats requires more than general cybersecurity knowledge—it demands specialized OT expertise and strategies that enhance security without disrupting operations.
SANS ICS Security training and GIAC certifications equip engineers, analysts, responders, and security leaders with the hands-on skills to protect industrial environments across the full threat landscape. From foundational ICS concepts to advanced detection and response, these courses prepare professionals at all levels to meet modern ICS/OT cyber threats head-on—while empowering their organizations to detect, respond to, and recover from attacks with confidence through a proven, structured learning path.
What SANS Alumni Say About SANS ICS Security
Meet Oren Niskin, an ICS/OT Cybersecurity Consultant who has taken many SANS ICS Security courses. He shares how he used this training to gain practical skills and advance his career in ICS/OT cybersecurity.