By: Islam Tawfik

This update improves cross-platform detection and response capabilities, simplifies security settings management, and provides clearer visibility into network activity. These enhancements contribute to faster threat detection, streamlined configuration management, and increased operational efficiency.

Recent results from Kaspersky’s Industrial Control Systems Emergency Response Team (ICS CERT) revealed that 20.5% of ICS computers blocked malware in the second half of 2025. This figure underscores the scale of cybersecurity threats facing industrial environments today and highlights the need for organizations to implement comprehensive protection strategies to safeguard their critical assets and operations. In response to the growing demand for enhanced cybersecurity, Kaspersky has updated its leading solution for industrial environments.

Kaspersky offers a comprehensive ecosystem that combines proprietary operating technology, specialized knowledge, and in-depth expertise. This system is based on Kaspersky’s Industrial Cyber ​​Security System (KICS), a native platform for XDR solutions designed to protect advanced infrastructure. Developed to fully secure industrial automation and control systems, KICS consists of a node-based system that protects the endpoints of distributed control systems and a network-based system that monitors the security of the automation network.

The new release offers a range of advanced capabilities to enhance security and ensure operational resilience:

Enhanced XDR Capabilities:The latest version of the KICS platform adds support for Linux nodes, making cyber incident analysis faster and more accurate. Security teams benefit from a new investigation graph, enabling them to identify connections between processes, files, and users, thus facilitating faster analysis of the root cause of an incident. Manual control features also allow for precise response actions, improving overall efficiency in addressing cyber threats.

Improved Configuration Management for Time Savings:The platform simplifies security configuration management by offering ready-made templates for Windows, Linux, industrial networking devices, and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). This reduces setup and configuration time and minimizes errors. A unified window for viewing and managing host configurations enables rapid change detection and provides automatic alerts for any modifications, allowing organizations to maintain the highest levels of security effortlessly.

Deeper Insights into PLC and Operational Performance:The latest update includes advanced PLC monitoring tools, utilizing agent-free probing and monitoring tools and sophisticated internal log analysis. This approach provides organizations with deeper insights into PLC behavior and project implementation issues without requiring additional software. Accelerated troubleshooting and operational insights reduce downtime and ensure smooth industrial operations.

A New Device-Centric Approach to Network Integrity Monitoring:The platform offers a new device-centric approach to monitoring network activity. This feature provides detailed insights into asset communication patterns, enabling security teams to identify the most active hosts and understand how devices interact across the network. These insights facilitate network monitoring and improve the detection of various threats.

Improved System Efficiency Through Automated Data Collection: To enhance operational efficiency, the platform offers semi-automated collection and analysis of integrity data for operating systems and industrial control systems. This feature can quickly identify performance issues, recommend optimal configurations, and generate exception rules, allowing organizations to address problems more quickly and maintain system stability.

Commenting on this, Andrey Strelkov, Head of Industrial Cybersecurity Product Group at Kaspersky, said: “We remain committed to supporting our customers in providing stronger and more comprehensive protection for their IT environments and operating systems. The latest version of the KICS platform comes with innovative features that enhance the security of industrial networks, expand visibility, and simplify management. Thanks to these improvements, organizations can better protect their critical infrastructure and counter emerging threats. Our main goal is to provide companies with more adaptable solutions to ensure operational resilience and strengthen their cybersecurity.”