Overview
Operational Technology (OT) security refers to the protection of industrial systems, machines, and infrastructure that monitor and control physical processes. These include systems used in manufacturing plants, energy grids, transportation, oil and gas pipelines, and utilities. OT environments often mix legacy equipment with modern IT systems, making them attractive targets for attackers.
What Problem Does It Solve?
OT systems were traditionally isolated, but digital transformation has connected them to IT and cloud environments. This creates new risks such as ransomware, supply chain attacks, and remote exploitation. A successful attack could disrupt production, compromise safety, or cause large-scale service outages. OT security addresses these risks by introducing monitoring, segmentation, and access controls tailored for industrial environments.
How It Works
OT security typically involves:
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Asset visibility: Discovering and classifying all connected industrial devices and control systems.
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Network segmentation: Separating IT and OT networks to limit attack spread.
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Access control: Enforcing strict policies for who and what can connect to OT systems.
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Monitoring and detection: Using specialised tools to detect anomalies in industrial traffic.
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Incident response: Ensuring rapid containment and recovery plans that account for physical safety as well as data security.
Everyday Benefits
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Manufacturing: Protects production lines from costly downtime due to malware or sabotage.
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Energy and utilities: Keeps critical infrastructure resilient against state-sponsored threats and insider risks.
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Transportation and logistics: Ensures operational continuity and passenger safety.
IoT vs OT Security
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IoT Security focuses on protecting connected consumer and enterprise devices such as sensors, cameras, and smart appliances. The goal is to prevent them from being hijacked or used as attack vectors.
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OT Security protects industrial control systems that run physical processes such as power generation, manufacturing, or transport. The priority is safety, uptime, and resilience of critical infrastructure.
While IoT devices often have limited security features, OT systems usually run on legacy hardware that was not designed with modern cybersecurity in mind. Both require different approaches but increasingly overlap as IT, IoT, and OT converge.
Deployment Considerations
Implementing OT security requires coordination between IT and OT teams, as well as vendors and regulators. Unlike IT environments, uptime and safety take priority in OT, so changes must be tested carefully. Many organisations adopt a layered approach, combining network defences, continuous monitoring, and frameworks like Zero Trust to build resilience.
