If you’re securing OT with an IT playbook, you’re already behind.
The OT Security Focused principle in the Industrial Cyber Security Principle Method™ demands total commitment to the unique world of operational technology. That means no shortcuts, no IT-first thinking, and no generic security measures shoehorned into systems they were never designed for.
Industrial environments face a different threat landscape, different systems, and different stakes. That’s why the OT security approach must be purpose-built with the right standards, people, and mindset from the start.
What Does “OT Security Focused” Mean?
This principle is about discipline and focus.
Specifically:
- Prioritising OT security decisions over IT-based assumptions.
- Designing compensating controls when legacy systems can’t support automated security measures.
- Building dedicated OT security teams who speak the language of industrial environments.
- Committing to ongoing, specialist-led training that keeps teams sharp and systems safe.
- Applying and implementing OT specific security lead frameworks and standards with OT teams.
It means accepting that good enough isn’t acceptable, and that the cost of misunderstanding OT systems is more than financial. It’s operational, reputational, and sometimes even physical.
Where Most Organisations Go Wrong
They treat OT as an afterthought.
IT teams attempt to lead the security control implementation for OT environments. Instead of recognising it as its own domain. This often leads to incompatibilities, ineffective controls that don’t match OT operational requirements, or even system failures.
While technology gets most of the attention, it’s people who make or break OT security. Without targeted training and internal expertise, even the best tools fail to deliver.
How to Get It Right
A true OT Security Focused approach includes:
- Clear separation of focus: Design security strategies specifically for OT environments, not adopting out of the box IT strategies.
- Assessment at all levels: Conduct regular audits across Purdue Levels 1, 2, 3 and upstream interfaces.
- Compensating controls: When technical constraints block standard protections, design bespoke alternatives.
- Real certification: Don’t just aim for compliance. Prove it with recognised, industry-specific OT security certifications.
- Specialist training: Provide ongoing education delivered by experts who live and breathe OT security.
When your security program is OT focused from the ground up, you build a system that’s fit for purpose, resilient under pressure, and ready for what’s next.
If your current security approach treats OT as just another system, it’s time for a rethink.
Click here to complete the industrial cyber security scorecard and see how well your organisation applies the OT Security Focused principle.