Operational Technology controls physical processes, so cyber risks can disrupt safety, reliability, and availability across connected industrial systems.
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Background for this topic.
Operational technology (OT) comprises hardware and software that monitor and control physical processes—such as PLCs, RTUs, HMIs, SCADA, and DCS—in manufacturing, utilities, transport, and buildings. Its assets include controllers, sensors, actuators, engineering workstations, and the networks linking them. OT depends on precise timing, reliable communications, and safe states; outages or incorrect commands can stop production or affect physical safety, even when little sensitive data is involved.
Security concerns arise where OT connects to enterprise networks, vendor remote-access paths, or internet-facing services. Legacy protocols and long-lived devices may lack authentication, encryption, logging, or practical patching options. A compromise could alter setpoints, inhibit alarms, or disrupt availability, but impact depends on process design and safeguards. Defenders typically segment control networks, restrict and monitor remote access, maintain asset and dependency inventories, use passive monitoring where active scanning is risky, and test recovery and safe manual operation. Vulnerability management must account for maintenance windows, vendor support, and safety validation rather than treating every patch like IT.
ISMG Editors: China-Linked SharePoint Exploits Raise AlarmIn this week's update, four ISMG editors discussed the latest SharePoint exploits linked to China, why the security of operational technology is still lagging 15 years after Stuxnet and a look at the widening divide in the ways enterprises are approaching AI adoption.
OT Experts Advocate for Collaboration and "Adversary-Hostile" National DefensesOT environments have long been bereft of their traditional shelter from cyberattacks made from hacker ignorance or disinterest. Industrial environments are forefronts for nation-state hacking, the risk heightened by global tensions and the convergence of operational technology with IT counterparts.
Dark Reading's Kelly Jackson Higgins interviews Carmine Valente, Deputy CISO at Con Edison, about his role at the New York-based electric utility and the state of IT and OT security. Valente highlights current threats like ransomware and supply chain attacks, as well as the impact of AI on both defense and threats.