Apparatus and method for dynamic customization of cyber-security risk item rules

1. A method comprising:

obtaining information defining a rule by a risk manager system, the rule identifying a cyber-security risk to a computing device in an industrial process control and automation system;

presenting a textual description describing an effect of the rule to a user by the risk manager system, the textual description including a selectable configuration parameter associated with the rule;

receiving the user's selection of the configuration parameter by the risk manager system; and

in response to receiving the user's selection of the configuration parameter, converting the configuration parameter in the textual description into an editable field and receiving a value associated with the configuration parameter from the user by the risk manager system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selectable configuration parameter is displayed as a hyperlink within the textual description.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the value associated with the configuration parameter is received through the editable field.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the textual description describes what the rule will do.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each rule is associated with at least one physical device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

interacting with the user, by the risk manager system, to define a plurality of rules for risk items to be monitored among a plurality of connected devices in the industrial process control and automation system;

mapping each of the rules to a corresponding one or more of the connected devices by the risk manager system;

monitoring the connected devices according to the rules by the risk manager system; and

displaying an output based on the rules and a status of the connected devices by the risk manager system.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each rule has one or more parameters and is displayed as a plain-text sentence in a plain text explanation of what the rule will do.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the risk manager system also defines and stores a configuration text template corresponding to one or more of the rules.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the risk manager system also identifies the plurality of connected devices, and the plurality of connected devices are vulnerable to cyber-security risks.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein each rule has a selectable configuration parameter that is displayed as a hyperlink within a textual description of the corresponding rule.

11. A risk manager system comprising:

a controller; and

a display;

wherein the controller is configured to:

obtain information defining a rule, the rule identifying a cyber-security risk to a computing device in an industrial process control and automation system;

present a textual description describing an effect of the rule to a user, the textual description including a selectable configuration parameter associated with the rule;

receive the user's selection of the configuration parameter; and

in response to receiving the user's selection of the configuration parameter, convert the configuration parameter in the textual description into an editable field and receive a value associated with the configuration parameter from the user.

12. The risk manager system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to display the selectable configuration parameter as a hyperlink within the textual description.

13. The risk manager system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to receive the value associated with the configuration parameter through the editable field.

14. The risk manager system of claim 11 , wherein the textual description describes what the rule will do.

15. The risk manager system of claim 11 , wherein each rule is associated with at least one physical device.

16. The risk manager system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

interact with the user to define a plurality of rules for risk items to be monitored among a plurality of connected devices in the industrial process control and automation system,

map each of the rules to a corresponding one or more of the connected devices,

monitor the connected devices according to the rules, and

display an output based on the rules and a status of the connected devices.

17. The risk manager system of claim 16 , wherein each rule has one or more parameters, and the controller is configured to display each rule as a plain-text sentence in a plain text explanation of what the rule will do.

18. The risk manager system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to define and store a configuration text template corresponding to one or more of the rules.

19. The risk manager system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to identify the plurality of connected devices, and the plurality of connected devices are vulnerable to cyber-security risks.

20. The risk manager system of claim 16 , wherein each rule has a selectable configuration parameter that the controller is configured to display as a hyperlink within a textual description of the corresponding rule.

21. A non-transitory machine-readable medium encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a risk manager system to:

obtain information defining a rule, the rule identifying a cyber-security risk to a computing device in an industrial process control and automation system;

present a textual description describing an effect of the rule to a user, the textual description including a selectable configuration parameter associated with the rule;

receive the user's selection of the configuration parameter; and

in response to receiving the user's selection of the configuration parameter, convert the configuration parameter in the textual description into an editable field and receive a value associated with the configuration parameter from the user.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 21 , further encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors of the risk manager system to:

interact with the user to define a plurality of rules for risk items to be monitored among a plurality of connected devices in the industrial process control and automation system;

map each of the rules to a corresponding one or more of the connected devices;

monitor the connected devices according to the rules; and

display an output based on the rules and a status of the connected devices.