What does a Cyber Criticality Assessment measure?

A Cyber Criticality Assessment primarily focuses on evaluating the potential negative impact that compromised information can have on an Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS) asset. This assessment considers various factors, including the importance of the asset to overall system operations, the type of information it handles, and how a breach could affect operational integrity, safety, and reliability. Understanding this impact is crucial for prioritizing cybersecurity efforts and ensuring appropriate resources are allocated to protect assets that are critical to maintaining safe and secure operations.

While measuring the risk of data breaches is important, it does not capture the comprehensive evaluation of consequences associated with those breaches specific to IACS environments. Additionally, assessing the likelihood of system failures is a different focus, usually tied to reliability and performance rather than directly measuring the impact of compromised data. On the other hand, evaluating the effectiveness of current security measures pertains to the existing safeguards against potential threats, rather than the assessment of the criticality of the asset itself in the context of cybersecurity impacts.