This North American energy leader is one of the top five oil and gas producers globally. With complex upstream and downstream operations, it manages one of the largest global installations of a major DCS vendor and a diverse estate of industrial control systems from multiple vendors.
- Faced increasing cyber threats—especially ransomware after high-profile industry attacks like Colonial Pipeline
- Deployed perimeter security tools but lacked visibility inside the OT environment and struggled with alert fatigue
- Manual patching processes from vendors were slow, inconsistent and resource intensive
- Needed a unified, vendor-neutral solution to improve security maturity across diverse assets—without disrupting operations or adding headcount
- Implemented SecureOT™ Platform to centralize asset visibility, risk analysis, and remediation across sites
- Adopted a “Think Global: Act Local” architecture to scale cybersecurity oversight while enabling a safe, site-level execution of remediation actions
- Used a technology-enabled vulnerability assessment (TEVA) to uncover real-time asset-level risks without scanning sensitive OT systems
- Collaborated with SecureOT™ cybersecurity specialists to prioritize risks, develop remediation playbooks, and support implementation across multi-vendor environments
- Improved OT security posture in under 12 months by remediating dormant accounts, fixing misconfigurations, and restoring critical backups
- Enabled continuous security improvements without hiring additional staff by leveraging centralized platform efficiencies
- Accelerated mean-time-to-remediation with automation playbooks tailored for local execution and enterprise oversight
- Reduced cyber risk exposure and alert fatigue by eliminating visibility gaps and implementing real-time asset risk scoring
In the wake of escalating cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, a top five oil and gas producer faced mounting pressure to strengthen its OT cybersecurity posture. With complex operations, a diverse mix of control systems, and limited resources, the producer needed to fast-track security maturity without disrupting production.
Challenge
No Clear Path Forward
The producer had already taken initial steps like deploying perimeter firewalls, testing anomaly detection tools, and relying on vendor patching. But the results were disjointed.
They lacked asset-level visibility, were overwhelmed by false-positive alerts, and struggled to close the gap between identifying threats and remediating them. Manual processes and siloed tools left critical vulnerabilities unaddressed and gave executives no clear line of sight into actual OT cyber risk.
Too Many Tools—Not Enough Maturity
The producer also realized that adding more tools wouldn’t improve their cybersecurity maturity. They needed a vendor-neutral platform that could:
- Consolidate risk insights, automate remediation, and support long-term growth
- Handle diverse ICS vendors
The solution also had to scale without adding headcount or risking operational uptime since there were budget and staffing constraints.
Solution
Scalable, Vendor-Neutral Platform for Risk & Vulnerability Management
The producer implemented vendor-neutral SecureOT™ Platform to meet its cybersecurity maturity goals. The solution offered centralized visibility and real-time risk data across OT environments.
At the core was the platform's "Think Global: Act Local” architecture. It empowered the organization to conduct enterprise-wide risk analysis from a central location while enabling local plant teams to execute remediation actions in alignment with operational needs.
The team also leveraged a technology-enabled risk and vulnerability assessment to uncover dormant accounts, outdated virus signatures, unapproved software, and firewall misconfigurations—all without scanning sensitive OT systems. With the help of SecureOT™ Platform Managed Services, the producer developed automated playbooks and received expert support to remediate issues quickly across all major vendor platforms.
Result
Faster Maturity and Less Risk—Without Additional Headcount
Within 12 months, the producer significantly advanced its OT cybersecurity maturity—without increasing its security team or deploying a patchwork of new tools. They removed risky user accounts, hardened outdated configurations, and restored long-overdue backups across dozens of facilities.
Using insights from the risk and vulnerability assessment, and the “Think Global: Act Local” approach, they also improved detection and response workflows. When faced with an attempted attack, the team quickly pinpointed affected accounts and deployed a site-level remediation plan that was executed safely and within hours.
Additional outcomes included:
- 70% lower OT labor costs compared to traditional security methods
- Faster mean-to-time remediation through automated playbooks
- Improved segmentation and risk vulnerability across a multi-vendor OT landscape
- Ongoing platform scalability to support future cybersecurity initiatives
The energy producer is now positioned to continue improving security maturity through a centralized, flexible, and cost-efficient platform—turning a fragmented tool trap into a unified, proactive industrial cybersecurity strategy.
Published January 23, 2026
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