Revolutionizing Operational Excellence: A Comprehensive Approach to Modernizing Secure Remote Access

The merging of Information Technology (IT) with Operational Technology (OT) in industrial environments brings about remarkable efficiencies and potential for communication. Nevertheless, the merging of IT and OT systems intensifies cybersecurity apprehensions, as demonstrated by a notable increase in cyber threats aimed at vital infrastructure. PETRONAS has used Remote Autonomous Operations (RAO) to address the issues presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. This approach focuses on ensuring business continuity while also dealing with increased cybersecurity threats. This paper presents PETRONAS’ proactive cybersecurity deployment programme, which aims to tackle the heightened vulnerabilities linked to remote autonomy. The primary objective is to strengthen the capabilities of secure remote access by establishing a specialized team that assesses different solutions using technical and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) criteria. The technical criteria encompass specific requirements such as fine-grained access control, comprehensive logging and recording, multifactor authentication, and other critical functionalities. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the evaluation findings, emphasizing Solutions 2 and 7 as the most suitable options for PETRONAS’ secure remote access implementation. Current initiatives are being implemented to rectify identified deficiencies and substitute the current solution with a more resilient alternative, with a focus on enhancing operational efficiency and adherence to regulations.