Advanced IT security solutions for OT environments

Operational Technology (OT) covers computing and control equipment used in environments such as factories, utilities, water treatment, vehicles, and cities. Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are a subset of OT and typically include sensors, PLCs, and HMIs, often mixed with conventional IT assets like servers and workstations. ICS environments face serious threats from both APT actors and cybercriminals: APTs may conduct espionage, denial of service, or destructive campaigns, while cybercrime commonly brings ransomware that can intentionally or accidentally spread into ICS. The impacts can be severe, including production and power outages, spoiled goods, theft of trade secrets, and even destruction of control and computing equipment.

At the same time, organizations increasingly connect ICS to enterprise IT systems to gain efficiencies via analytics, predictive maintenance, faster production/delivery, and tighter Just-in-Time supply chains. This OT/IT convergence enables productivity and revenue gains but can “exponentially” increase risk, especially as compromises in enterprise networks can propagate into ICS. Security is further complicated by ICS constraints: many devices run Windows variants but may not support endpoint protection tools, vendors may prohibit security agents or configuration changes, and legacy operating systems can’t be routinely upgraded, accumulating vulnerabilities.

To close observability gaps, Network Detection & Response (NDR) and Distributed Deception Platforms (DDP) can strengthen ICS security. NDR acts as a next-generation IDS using machine-learning baselines, network telemetry, and protocol-aware analysis (often without decrypting traffic) to detect anomalies, including in common ICS protocols. DDPs deploy realistic traps and lures—sometimes vendor-hosted—to attract attackers, divert them from real assets, and generate high-fidelity, customer-specific threat intelligence, including identity-focused deception in AD/LDAP. Both categories are converging toward XDR, which is expected to unify multiple security capabilities over the coming years.

• Operational Technology includes computing equipment deployed in factories, warehouses, cities, power generation and distribution, water treatment, and vehicles.
• Industrial Control Systems include sensors, Programmable Logic Controllers, and Human-Machine Interfaces.
• ICS environments are targeted by APT actors and cybercrime groups.
• APT activity in ICS can include espionage operations, denial of service, and campaigns to destroy data and equipment.
• Ransomware is a common weapon used by cybercriminals and can infect ICS environments purposely or inadvertently.
• Connecting ICS systems to enterprise IT components can increase risks exponentially.
• Many ICS computing assets run standard or customized builds of Microsoft Windows.
• Some vendors or managed service providers do not allow adding security software or making configuration changes to the devices they manage.
• Some ICS solutions use legacy operating systems that cannot be routinely upgraded, leading to accumulating vulnerabilities and exploits.
• XDR is expected to eventually encompass NDR, EPDR, UBA, DDP, and CWPP, with market-wide unification estimated at 3–5 years out.

• “Opening the door between OT and IT offers the possibility of productivity gains, increased revenue, expense reduction, and better value for customers.”
• “However, such connectivity can exponentially increase risks.”
• “NDR tools are effectively ‘Next-Gen IDS’ (Intrusion Detection Systems).”
• “The big difference between NDR and old IDS tools is that NDR tools use Machine Learning (ML) detection models to identify normal baselines and anomalous traffic rather than static rules.”
• “Sometimes the best defense is a good offense.”
• “DDPs are complex but realistic traps that can be deployed to simulate production ICS networks and nodes.”
• “Well-designed DDP solutions provide high-fidelity threat intelligence tailored to the customer…”
• “Since hacked credentials are almost always involved in multiple stages of attacks… monitoring identity stores and authentication systems for possible malicious activities is imperative.”
• “The network layer may be the last and best place to monitor for possible incursions and other malicious activities.”
• “Innovative security vendors are building, buying, and integrating both NDR and DDP functions into XDR solutions.”