Building a Robust OT Cybersecurity Program: Where to start, What to do, and Best Practices

Operational Technology (OT) environments have rapidly emerged as prime targets for cyber threats, with 2025 marking a watershed year in the scale, complexity, and frequency of cyberattacks. Industrial organizations face an unprecedented imperative: build resilient OT cybersecurity programs or risk devastating operational and financial consequences.

Immediate Action is Non-Negotiable

In 2024 alone, ransomware attacks against industrial organizations surged by 87%, with manufacturing remaining the most targeted sector. Shockingly, 75% of these incidents led to partial OT shutdowns, and 25% caused full operational paralysis. Equally concerning, 76% of industrial organizations detected malicious activities in their OT environments, with nearly a quarter experiencing operational shutdowns.

·       These statistics underline an urgent call to action:

·       Proactive Approach: Immediate, proactive measures are essential to mitigate risk.

·       Resilience as Priority: Resilience must be the foundational principle in building OT cybersecurity programs.

Starting Your OT Cybersecurity Journey

Secure Executive Buy-In and Governance

Effective cybersecurity begins at the top. Secure commitment from executives, clearly articulating how cybersecurity aligns with business objectives, operational continuity, and regulatory compliance. Forming a cross-functional governance team ensures sustained oversight and accountability.

Comprehensive Asset Inventory

Visibility is foundational. Thoroughly map your OT assets, including legacy systems, identifying their connections to IT networks. With 70% of vulnerabilities hidden deep within OT networks, asset visibility is the cornerstone of an effective cybersecurity strategy.

Conduct Risk Assessments and Threat Modeling

Risk assessments identify your organization's most critical assets and vulnerabilities. Given that 41% of organizations pinpoint legacy systems as their weakest link, prioritizing threat modeling in these areas helps mitigate severe security risks.

Core Program Components

Network Segmentation

Network segmentation limits attackers' lateral movement. In 2025, 28% of incidents involved inadequate segmentation or firewall configurations. A clearly defined boundary between IT and OT networks is critical.

Secure Remote Access

Remote access vulnerabilities were present in 65% of OT environments in 2024. Enforce robust authentication, privileged access controls, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to significantly reduce remote access risks.

Continuous Threat Detection and Monitoring

OT-specific monitoring tools integrated into Security Operations Centers (SOC) enhance visibility and response times. With 27% of organizations acknowledging limited OT visibility, improving this area dramatically reduces risk.

Incident Response Planning

Regularly updated and tested OT-specific incident response plans, including tabletop exercises, strengthen preparedness. Proactively identifying gaps through simulation exercises can significantly reduce downtime during real incidents.

Prioritized Vulnerability Management

Adopt Dragos’s 'Now, Next, Never' framework, prioritizing remediation based on real-world impacts. Only 6% of OT vulnerabilities require immediate action, while 63% can be strategically scheduled.

Continuous Training and Awareness

Addressing the cybersecurity skills gap is critical, as 40% of organizations report skill shortages. Ongoing training ensures teams remain prepared to handle evolving threats.

Industry Best Practices for Maximum Resilience

Foster IT and OT Collaboration

Collaboration between IT and OT teams is crucial. In 2025, 87% of organizations recognized significant improvements by consolidating IT and OT security strategies, promoting unified and resilient defenses.

Intelligent Use of AI

While AI-driven attacks surged, 89% of organizations successfully leveraged AI-enhanced tools to improve threat detection, response capabilities, and overall resilience.

Adopt Zero Trust Architecture

Anticipating breaches is realistic—60% of organizations predict breaches in 2025. Implementing Zero Trust significantly limits damage, restricting attackers’ lateral movement and protecting critical assets.

AI-Powered Patch Management

AI-driven virtual patching and predictive maintenance minimize downtime, addressing vulnerabilities effectively without compromising operational continuity.

Conduct Regular Security Assessments

Only 4% of organizations globally reached mature cybersecurity readiness. Frequent assessments drive continuous improvements, keeping organizations ahead of emerging threats.

Moving Forward: Your Call to Action

The convergence of IT and OT, coupled with rapidly evolving threats, especially from AI-driven cyberattacks, makes proactive cybersecurity non-negotiable. Organizations must move beyond reactive strategies to proactive, resilient approaches. Your actions today will determine your operational resilience tomorrow.

Take proactive action now—strengthen your cybersecurity foundations, integrate OT-specific controls, and continuously train your teams.

Secure your operational future by investing proactively in robust OT cybersecurity. The resilience of your operations depends on your preparedness today.