Loading

The Risks and Rewards of IT / OT Convergence

New opportunities to capitalize on all your data
A simulated network protecting critical infrastructure near water
The Risks and Rewards of IT / OT Convergence
New opportunities to capitalize on all your data
Cybersecurity
    • Overview
    • Overview
    • Overview
    • Zero Trust
    • Zero Trust
    • Identity & Access Management
    • Identity & Access Management
    • IT / OT Convergence
    • IT / OT Convergence
    • CIP Security
    • CIP Security
    • Technology & Certification
    • Technology & Certification
    • Security & LifecycleIQ
    • Security & LifecycleIQ
    • Secure Digital Transformation
    • Secure Digital Transformation
    • NIST Cybersecurity Framework
    • NIST Cybersecurity Framework
    • Overview
    • Overview
    • Overview
    • Managed Services
    • Managed Services
    • Threat Detection
    • Threat Detection
    • Incident Response
    • Incident Response
    • SOC as a Service
    • SOC as a Service
    • IT Cybersecurity Services
    • IT Cybersecurity Services
    • Endpoint Protection
    • Endpoint Protection
    • Overview
    • Overview
    • Overview
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Life Sciences
    • Life Sciences
    • Automotive
    • Automotive
    • Manufacturing
    • Manufacturing
    • Food & Beverage
    • Food & Beverage
    • Mining
    • Mining
    • Overview
    • Overview
    • Overview
    • Advisories & Support
    • Advisories & Support
    • Design & Planning
    • Design & Planning
    • Network Security
    • Network Security
    • Penetration Testing
    • Penetration Testing
    • Respond & Recover
    • Respond & Recover
    • Risk Assessment
    • Risk Assessment
    • Vulnerability Assessment
    • Vulnerability Assessment
  • World Class Partners
    • Blogs
    • Blogs
    • Press Releases
    • Press Releases
    • Webinars
    • Webinars
    • Whitepapers
    • Whitepapers

Converging all enterprise data into a unified infrastructure can make your organization more efficient and productive. Data across your product value chain, from product development data to IoT data and factory analytics, can be leveraged in amazing new ways when integrating operational data with accounting and management systems.

But prudence also requires enterprises to separate these systems to avoid lateral cybersecurity attacks that spread from one environment to the other, by isolating the devices that communicate information to these systems.

For a secure connected enterprise that converges Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT), several design strategies should be tapped. These include Zero Trust and Protect Surface approaches; Industrial Demilitarized Zone (IDMZ) deployment; network segmentation and firewalls; and strong Identity and access management, such as multi-factor authentication.


Bridging the Security Gap in IT / OT Convergence

Connection requires protection throughout the enterprise

Industrial companies are often plagued by unpatched legacy infrastructure and a lack of skilled resources to manage cyber risk properly. Attackers know that these environments have many vulnerabilities and that an attack can mean major consequences for the infected.

The next question is, why do companies struggle to address these well-known issues?

Traditionally, IT and OT teams managed security for their own domains. OT prioritized production efficiency and uptime, and IT prioritized speedy data flow. Today, more companies are converging IT and OT, requiring leadership from both domains to plan and execute cybersecurity programs in tandem. This often works best with guidance from a cybersecurity partner with expertise in IT, OT and cybersecurity.

One key step in securing the network, is knowing what’s on it. Most industrial automation environments are poorly inventoried, yet today’s tools can automate asset inventories, moving from a typical 1-3 months+ between reports, to daily or hourly.

Does your organization have competing security priorities between teams, gaps in security strategies, or undefined roles in security? Are your employees working remotely, increasing risks to network infrastructure from unknown devices and insecure connections?

How to Bridge the IT/OT Security Gap
Two engineers walk through factory workshop with augmented reality 3D models of CNC machinery production line.
Blog
How to Bridge the IT/OT Security Gap

With employees working remotely are you adding risks to your network from unknown devices and insecure connections? Learn how to reduce those threats.

Read Now

3 Ways to Simplify Industrial IT/OT Convergence
Male industrial OT worker using IT tablet to connect to the network and maintain robotic arm
Blog
3 Ways to Simplify Industrial IT/OT Convergence

Business needs like better data visibility and enhanced security drive industrial IT/OT convergence. Discover 3 tips to improve IT/OT convergence success.

Read Now

Three Methods to Simply IT / OT Convergence

Our specialized expertise helps improve convergence success

IT and OT convergence in industrial operations is driven by the need for better data visibility and utilization, full realization of system and software ROI, and enhanced cybersecurity. It’s also a key enabler for industrial companies to achieve their digital transformation goals.

While the value of business drivers continues to increase, executing IT / OT convergence remains challenging. In industrial companies today, the line between IT and OT is blurring as data becomes essential to productivity and profitability. Yet IT expectations and priorities can still vary greatly from those on the plant floor. Response time, for example, tends to be much more critical in OT than in IT environments.

Our solutions and services address the complete needs of industrial companies. We can speed the success of IT / OT convergence initiatives and deliver new levels of productivity, security and uptime, making convergence efforts highly valuable.


Establishing an IT / OT Security Operations Center

Present a unified front against cyber threats

While OT requires specific tools for industrial cybersecurity, one area where enterprises can use their existing resources and personnel is a Security Operations Center (SOC). The best industrial cyber defense strategy is to present a unified front against threats to IT and OT assets by establishing a converged SOC that protects these once-separate technology environments in a holistic manner.

The SOC is widely accepted as a hallmark of mature IT security programs. By consolidating OT security with your existing IT-centric SOC, you can achieve greater visibility across the entire enterprise, enhancing security monitoring and gaining comprehensive threat mitigation capabilities.

Not ready for this step? Talk to Rockwell Automation about our SOC as a Service capability. Our managed cybersecurity services can provide efficient, ongoing threat monitoring with many other benefits, saving CapEx and helping to close cybersecurity staffing gaps.

Loading
Contact a Rockwell Automation Cybersecurity Specialist
Contact Us
Recommended for You
Loading
  • Sales
  • Customer Care
  • TechConnect Support
  • General Questions
  1. Chevron LeftChevron Left Home Chevron RightChevron Right
  2. Chevron LeftChevron Left Cap... Chevron RightChevron Right
  3. Chevron LeftChevron Left Industrial Cybersecurity Solutions Chevron RightChevron Right
  4. Chevron LeftChevron Left Modern Industrial Security Starts Here Chevron RightChevron Right
  5. Chevron LeftChevron Left IT OT Convergence for Industrial Ops Chevron RightChevron Right