Operational technology (OT), availability and production safety

Operational Technology (OT) networks are information technologies that are used to control and monitor industrial processes and equipment. These networks play a key role in industries such as manufacturing, power engineering, water management and others. It is important that these networks are not only efficient and reliable, but also secure, as vulnerabilities in OT networks can have serious impacts on production and operations.

Availability is a critical factor in OT networks. Loss of availability can cause production downtime and loss of productivity. To ensure availability, it is essential to have appropriate network design, network health monitoring and the ability to respond quickly to unforeseen problems and failures.

Security is one of the most important features of OT networks. Cyber-attacks, malware and vulnerability exploitation can have serious consequences, including unauthorised device control, data loss and loss of control over industrial processes. Ensuring security includes network protection, segmentation and the monitoring of security events.

Segmentation is a technique that divides an OT network into smaller parts to limit the spread of a potential attack. Critical systems should be isolated from less important systems, and only minimum permissions should be set to access these systems.

Monitoring and intrusion detection systems are key to identifying unusual or suspicious activity on the network. These systems can help respond quickly and effectively to incidents and minimize damage.