Defending OT Requires Agility, Proactive Controls

This commentary examines escalating cyber threats to operational technology (OT) and critical infrastructure, referencing recent warnings and incidents (DNV ShipManager supply-chain disruption, Iranian exploitation of Unitronics in water systems, EPA findings on water utilities, and China-linked Volt Typhoon’s living-off-the-land tactics) and highlighting the high cost of downtime. It advises defenders to eliminate IT/OT visibility gaps, develop comprehensive OT incident playbooks aligned with NIST CSF guidance, and deploy robust exposure management and controls to shift from reactive to proactive, cyber-physical risk reduction.