An operator on the Gulf Coast engaged Armexa to conduct a comprehensive OT cybersecurity assessment of a highly interconnected control environment supporting LNG operations. The existing OT architecture had known vulnerabilities, governance gaps, and no formal risk quantification. Armexa applied its three-dimensional assessment model which combines a Validated System Design Review (VSDR), Maturity & Compliance Gap Assessment, and CyberBowtie™ Risk Assessment, to produce 62 prioritized recommendations and a structured roadmap for improving the operator’s cybersecurity posture and reducing exposure to high-consequence operational and safety scenarios.
Challenges
An interconnected OT environment with no current-state risk picture and multiple known exposure areas
The operator needed an updated, evidence-based view of cyber risk across its LNG control environment before making further security investments. Key challenges included:
- Network Segmentation: Architectural weaknesses created pathways between less-trusted network segments and critical control systems, enabling potential lateral movement
- Malware Exposure: Unsupported software versions, a limited patching cadence, and insufficient removable media controls left endpoints vulnerable
- Detection & Response Gaps: No centralized logging, no OT-specific incident response plan, and no real-time monitoring in place
- Governance Maturity: Cybersecurity governance and program maturity inconsistent with industry benchmarks, with limited alignment to recognized frameworks
Our Solution
A three-dimensional OT cybersecurity assessment delivering prioritized recommendations
Armexa applied its 3D assessment methodology, combining technical architecture analysis, compliance benchmarking, and consequence-based risk assessment, to produce an integrated, evidence-driven view of the operator’s OT cyber risk:
- Validated System Design Review (VSDR): Technical analysis of OT architecture, network configurations, and system design using real system data. This gave an accurate picture of the actual current-state environment.
- Maturity & Compliance Gap Assessment: Benchmarked the operator’s OT cybersecurity program against NIST CSF 2.0 and ISA/IEC 62443, producing a quantitative scorecard identifying gaps across all framework domains relative to industry peers.
- CyberBowtie™ Risk Assessment: Applied consequence-based risk analysis linking credible cyber threat scenarios to operational and safety impacts, quantifying current and residual risk levels for high-consequence scenarios and establishing a risk-based basis for prioritization.
Findings across all three dimensions were synthesized into a single, integrated roadmap of 62 recommendations sequenced by risk reduction impact, cost, and operational feasibility.
Outcomes & Impact
Quantified risk exposure, a prioritized roadmap, and a foundation for detection, response, and recovery
The assessment delivered both an immediate improvement in the operator’s understanding of its risk profile and a practical roadmap for closing gaps:
- Improved visibility into cybersecurity risks and their potential operational and safety consequences, replacing assumptions with an evidence-based risk picture
- Structured, prioritized remediation roadmap of 62 recommendations aligned to the operator’s risk tolerance and business priorities
- Strengthened foundation for detection, response, and recovery capabilities: addressing the absence of centralized logging, OT-specific incident response, and real-time monitoring
- Reduced exposure to high-impact operational and safety scenarios through targeted recommendations on segmentation, endpoint hardening, and governance
