Operational Technology
Also known as:OT
Operational Technology: Encompasses systems that sense, control, or automate physical processes, including PLCs, control systems, sensors, and actuators. Unlike conventional office IT, malfunction can directly affect production, the environment, or human safety. Long equipment lifecycles, proprietary protocols, and narrow maintenance windows shape architecture and operations.
How it works and where it fits
Operational Technology denotes a technical component or operating environment with its own trust boundaries, identities, interfaces, and dependencies. Security is determined not only by the product, but by architecture, configuration, and the way data and privileges cross component boundaries. Management planes and production processing should be considered separately.
Practical security relevance
Secure operation depends on complete inventory, hardened baselines, least privilege, patchability, and centralized telemetry. Changes should be reproducible and reviewable. Exposed interfaces, default access, secrets, and supply-chain dependencies need particular attention; isolation, backup, and recovery must also be exercised in realistic conditions.
Related concepts
- Operational Technology SecurityOperational Technology SecurityProtects industrial control, production, and process control systems.: Protects industrial control, production, and process control systems.
- IoT SecurityIoT SecurityProtects networked devices, platforms, communication channels, and device data.: Protects networked devices, platforms, communication channels, and device data.
- AvailabilityAvailabilityThe attribute of systems and data being usable when needed.: The attribute of systems and data being usable when needed.
- Network SegmentationNetwork SegmentationSeparates network segments to control access and limit lateral movement.: Separates network segments to control access and limit lateral movement.