Industrial cyber security is complex. Organisations managing critical infrastructure and Operational Technology (OT) face constant pressure from evolving cyber threats. In response, many organisations adopt a one-size-fits-all, or “blanket,” approach—applying uniform security measures across all systems, facilities, and operational processes. On the surface, this might seem sensible, even efficient. After all, standardisation simplifies implementation, reduces complexity, and offers a quick path toward compliance.
Yet, beneath the appealing simplicity of blanket cyber security lies a fundamental flaw: industrial cyber security is inherently situational.
Every system and process has its own distinct vulnerabilities, operational priorities, and business objectives. Applying the same level of security control coverage uniformly across all systems and subsystems overlooks these crucial differences, potentially resulting in significant vulnerabilities and unnecessary operational friction.
The Hidden Costs
When industrial organisations take a blanket approach to their security control deployment, several critical issues inevitably arise:
Inefficient use of resources and wasted spend
The temptation to deploy the same level of security measures for all systems can cause organisations to overspend on low-risk areas, diverting essential resources. Picture investing heavily in advanced threat detection systems for low-priority assets. By failing to prioritise security measures based on the specific needs and risks of each system, organisations risk compromising their overall security posture and operational efficiency. It’s crucial to adopt a tailored industrial security strategy that allocates resources effectively, ensuring that high-risk and mission-critical systems receive the necessary protection over low risk-based systems.
Operational friction and resistance
Blanket security measures often prove excessively restrictive or cumbersome in operational environments. Operators, engineers, and frontline staff become frustrated when security protocols interfere unnecessarily with daily operations, leading to resistance or outright circumvention. Overly restrictive security blanket policies can, paradoxically, lead to decreased compliance as workers seek ways around cumbersome protocols, unintentionally increasing organisational risk.
Reduced situational awareness
Blanket policies obscure genuine risks by discouraging detailed risk assessments and nuanced understanding of operational contexts. Organisations lose the capacity to identify and prioritise real threats unique to particular environments or processes. This lack of visibility creates hidden blind spots easily exploited by sophisticated attackers who understand the nuances better than the defenders.
Why Organisations Fall into the Blanket Approach Trap
Despite its evident flaws, organisations often gravitate toward a blanket approach due to several common drivers:
Desire for simplicity and speed
Leaders and decision-makers often seek rapid solutions to complex cyber threats, motivated by urgency from boards, stakeholders, or regulatory bodies. Standardised measures appear attractive because they promise rapid deployment and straightforward management. Unfortunately, this pursuit of simplicity comes at the expense of genuine protection tailored to unique operational realities.
Misapplied corporate standards
Many industrial organisations mistakenly believe that IT-centric policies and frameworks can directly translate into OT environments. The critical error lies in overlooking the vast differences between these environments: operational uptime, safety implications, legacy infrastructure, and real-time performance considerations. Applying IT-based controls without adaptation often backfires, creating significant operational disruptions or leaving critical OT vulnerabilities unaddressed.
Centralised decision-making
OT security policies formulated in isolation from operational expertise or frontline input rarely reflect the realities on the ground. Decision-makers in corporate environments often lack direct visibility into plant-level operational needs, processes, or threats. As a result, centrally imposed IT based policies frequently prove impractical, leading to frustration, reduced compliance, and ineffective protection.
Vendor-driven strategies
Vendors frequently market their security products and services as universal solutions. Organisations under pressure to respond to rising threats or regulatory demands often succumb to attractive marketing messages promising quick, all-encompassing protection. While these solutions may indeed provide certain benefits, without contextual tailoring and careful implementation, they can fail significantly in real-world scenarios.
The SIS Viewpoint: Tailored, Risk-Based Cyber Security
At SIS, we challenge organisations to move beyond the seductive simplicity of blanket cyber security strategies. Our experience across diverse industrial sectors has consistently demonstrated that meaningful security is inherently tailored, nuanced, and responsive to operational specifics. The SIS Industrial Cyber Security Principle Method™ advocates precisely for this tailored, business-driven approach, delivering strategic advantages that generic solutions cannot match.
Detailed Risk Assessments and Threat Modelling
Effective security begins with deeply understanding specific threats, vulnerabilities, and operational impacts at each site and within each process. SIS works with organisations to conduct detailed, scenario-driven risk assessments that illuminate the unique risk landscape. This comprehensive understanding guides targeted investments, ensuring resources are directed where they have the greatest impact.
Prioritised, contextual investments
Rather than uniform application, SIS promotes security investments closely aligned with identified business-critical assets and safety objectives. By precisely aligning security controls with business priorities, organisations achieve more impactful, measurable, and cost-effective security outcomes.
Cross-functional alignment
The SIS approach actively integrates operational and frontline perspectives into security policy-making. By engaging teams directly involved in operations, we ensure OT security measures are not just theoretically sound but practically implementable. This collaborative approach reduces operational friction and fosters stronger organisational support and ownership.
Continuous Training and Cultural Alignment
Security is not just about tools or technology—it’s about people and organisational culture. SIS emphasises continuous training, enabling employees to take ownership and proactively contribute to organisational resilience. When staff clearly understand why industrial security measures are necessary, they become active defenders rather than passive observers.
Moving Beyond Blanket Security
In today’s landscape, industrial organisations cannot afford simplistic and blanket security solutions. Effective OT cyber security demands nuanced, tailored approaches deeply rooted in risk assessment, business objectives, and operational reality.
By rejecting a blanket approach and embracing tailored, risk-informed strategies, organisations don’t just enhance industrial cyber security—they build genuine operational resilience that meets their requirements. At SIS, our mission is to guide organisations toward this essential shift, creating OT security postures that stand the test of real-world threats and challenges.
If you’re looking for a better approach, take the SIS Industrial Cyber Security Scorecard today and see how your current strategy stacks up against the six principles of world-class OT security.