Securing production requires more than traditional IT Security
Rising regulatory requirements, the increasing connectivity of industrial systems and the growing threat of cyberattacks are presenting companies with new challenges. At the same time, production downtime, delivery delays and security incidents can have a significant financial impact.
Many companies recognise the need to act but face a number of fundamental questions: Where should we begin? Which risks are truly critical? What do NIS2 and IEC 62443 require? And how can we embed OT Security across our organisation for the long-term?
In pursuit of greater efficiency, companies are increasingly integrating Operational Technology (OT) with traditional IT systems. This convergence creates new attack vectors for targeted cyberattacks that can disrupt production. To this date, security efforts have focused primarily on protecting IT environments, with IT Security concepts often being applied to Industrial Control Systems without the necessary adaptations.
However, as attacks on safety-critical systems become more frequent, traditional IT Security measures are quickly reaching their limits. The 29th PwC Global CEO Survey illustrates the scale of the challenge: 34% of CEOs in Germany consider their companies highly or extremely threatened by cyberattacks, while 62% intend to significantly strengthen their Cyber Security capabilities over the coming years. Particularly in the manufacturing sector, where IT and OT are increasingly converging, OT Security is no longer a niche concern but one of the key priorities for the years ahead.
