OT/ICS Security

Operational Technologies (OT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) have traditionally been managed separately from systems and services that fall within the Information Technology (IT) area. OT and ICS are the systems that control and operate manufacturing plants, maintain critical infrastructure, and increasingly Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and devices. These OT/ICS systems require dedicated security and management support but also need to connect to overarching security capabilities.

This report focuses on the people, processes, information, and technology to ensure OT/ICS systems are fully protected from all cybersecurity threats. As more machines are connected to networks to support real-time controls, monitoring, and management, there is a corresponding growth in cybersecurity risks.

This report starts with a level set about OT/ICS security and then presents an OT security maturity framework to let our customers know where they are and where they may want to move. We further break out maturity for the core OT/ICS security categories including basic grade capabilities, standard grade, and premium. We also describe some of the unique challenges associated with OT security and a framework and strategy for addressing OT/ICS risks.

Reviews of several top vendors in OT/ICS security are provided in this paper along with a strategy to apply the tools in a hybrid on-premises and cloud deployment.