Cybersecurity in industrial environments can no longer be viewed as an isolated domain. Protecting Operational Technology (OT) depends on a solid IT foundation that aligns technical defences with business objectives. Only through this integration can organisations ensure operational continuity, safety, and resilience against cyber threats.
Today, we understand that OT security requires a strong IT backbone capable of creating a practical security strategy that aligns technical defences with business goals in an industrial setting. The success of any OT cybersecurity strategy inevitably depends on aligning OT and IT objectives so that both move in the same direction. This alignment is not always achieved — traditionally, these two areas have operated in silos.
Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity is essential for protecting factories, power grids, water systems, and industry at large from cyber threats. While Information Technology (IT) focuses on managing and safeguarding corporate data flowing through databases, mail servers, and cloud platforms, OT cybersecurity ensures that the physical processes behind critical infrastructure — manufacturing, energy, and utilities — remain safe and reliable.
The Fusion of IT and OT Security
To strike a balance between IT’s goal of maintaining data confidentiality and OT’s challenge of ensuring uninterrupted operations, plant managers who understand industrial processes must collaborate with IT teams to define shared priorities and objectives: maintaining 24/7 operations, guaranteeing safety, and establishing acceptable operational limits.
There is no single model that guarantees successful fusion between IT and OT security. IT often requires frequent updates, whereas OT prioritises stability. It is not uncommon for production to be disrupted — sometimes at great financial cost — when a DCS (Distributed Control System) is rebooted to apply a patch. Therefore, operational teams must be involved from the start of security planning. At the same time, a solid IT foundation is crucial to protect OT, since an insecure VPN connection or a phishing attack can open a pathway into control systems.
OT security must balance protection and flexibility — for instance, enabling secure remote access for an engineer during an emergency, while preventing excessive permissions (such as constant vendor access), which can increase risk if not properly managed.
Convergence Is Not Optional
The convergence of IT and OT is no longer optional — it is a strategic requirement for modern industry. Achieving this balance demands collaboration, joint planning, and purpose-built technologies that protect operations without compromising productivity. In essence, an effective OT cybersecurity strategy must place availability and safety at its core, always aligned with business goals.
Risk management in industrial environments also requires a holistic approach: asset inventory, network segmentation, secure access, and compensatory measures when systems cannot be patched. Only in this way can organisations respond swiftly, minimise incident impact, and maintain the trust of clients and regulators.
The key lies in recognising that OT cybersecurity is not an expense, but an investment in ensuring continuity, resilience, and competitiveness in an increasingly connected and vulnerable world.
Essential OT Security Technologies
Organisations require industrial-grade technologies to safeguard OT systems. These solutions address OT-specific challenges while supporting operational objectives. Key technologies include:
Industrial Firewalls
- Act as a boundary between IT and OT networks.
- Filter traffic to prevent unauthorised access.
- Example: a firewall can block malware before it reaches a DCS in a factory, thereby preserving production continuity.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS)
- IDS (Intrusion Detection Systems) monitor network traffic for signs of intrusion, such as abnormal activity targeting a PLC.
- IPS (Intrusion Prevention Systems) go further, actively blocking or halting detected intrusions.
- Both are critical security measures for defending OT environments.
OT-Focused EDR/XDR and MDR
- Combining Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Extended Detection and Response (XDR), and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) enables real-time, OT-specific threat detection.
- An OT-aware EDR can detect malware in an HMI before it spreads throughout the control room.
Six Key Practices for an OT Cybersecurity Programme
- Asset-Centric Security
- Protect every phase of the lifecycle: onboarding, testing, production, and maintenance.
- Verify all equipment before connecting it to the environment.
- Network Segmentation
- Divide OT networks into zones (e.g., isolate the DCS from IT).
- Establish secure communication channels to contain potential attacks.
- Asset Inventory and Passive Discovery
- Identify devices such as PLCs or HMIs.
- Use non-intrusive tools that provide visibility without disrupting operations.
- Secure Remote Access and MFA
- Implement encrypted channels and multi-factor authentication for suppliers and engineers.
- Example: remote turbine maintenance through a secure gateway.
- Patching and Compensatory Controls for ‘Unpatchable’ Systems
- Deploy industrial firewalls and IPS to safeguard systems that cannot be updated without halting operations.
- Continuous Monitoring and Anomaly Detection
- Real-time supervision to detect unauthorised PLC commands.
- Isolate incidents immediately and shorten response times.
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