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A plant network that is safe to connect.

Connecting machines brings value and risk. OT security protects controllers, SCADA and the network between them, with the plant's need to keep running always placed first.
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OT security

What It Is

Operational technology - PLCs, HMIs, SCADA servers, engineering workstations - was built to run reliably, not to resist attack. Once it is linked to the office network or the internet, one infected laptop or exposed remote-access tool can stop production.

OT security starts with knowing what is on the network, then dividing it into zones with controlled conduits between them, watching industrial traffic for anything unusual, and making remote access and backups safe. Changes are planned around production, never on top of it.

How It Works

The system from the sensor to the people who act on it. Every project is sized to the site, but the layers stay the same.

  1. Discover

    Asset inventory

    Passive discovery of every controller, HMI and switch, with firmware and connections.

  2. Segment

    Zones & conduits

    Firewalls and VLANs following the Purdue model, with an industrial DMZ between IT and OT.

  3. Monitor

    Industrial IDS

    Deep-packet inspection of industrial protocols flags new devices, writes and unusual commands.

  4. Respond

    SOC & SIEM

    Alerts go to a security operations team with playbooks written for the plant.

  5. Recover

    Backups & access

    Tested controller backups and audited, time-limited remote access.

Key Technologies

The protocols, standards and components we work with on this use case.

Standards

  • IEC 62443
  • Purdue model
  • NIST SP 800-82
  • Zones & conduits
  • Security levels

Controls

  • Industrial firewalls
  • Industrial DMZ
  • Secure remote access
  • Allow-listing
  • Controller backups

Monitoring

  • Passive asset discovery
  • Industrial IDS
  • SIEM
  • Modbus / S7 / CIP inspection
  • MITRE ATT&CK for ICS

Typical Deliverables

What a project usually hands over. We agree the exact scope with you before work starts.

  • OT asset inventory and network map
  • Risk assessment against IEC 62443
  • Segmentation design and firewall rule sets
  • Monitoring deployed and tuned to normal plant traffic
  • Remote-access and backup procedures
  • Incident response playbook for the site
The practice behind it: Cybersecurity

Where It Applies

Industries where this use case answers a problem we see often. Each links back to the sector page.

Related Use Cases

Let's Scope Your Project.

Tell us about your site and what you want to improve. Our engineers will help you scope a practical first step.

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