Operational technology (OT) and the data it generates are critical for enterprises seeking to maintain business continuity, improve efficiency, and accelerate progress. From powering cities, to slicing chocolate bars, to watering a remote orchard, to managing medical procedures, to lighting an assembly-line floor, OT systems deliver vital information to organizational leaders. But they are often vulnerable to a new type of security threat.
OT is generating more data. Analysts are developing new ways to interpret it. Leaders are finding new ways to apply those learnings. And hackers are targeting new IoT attack vectors.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of OT and IoT devices in the world remain unsecured, presenting significant threat risk to enterprise IT leaders. Combined with that, many organizations have little institutional awareness of all of their IoT/OT devices. (A recent Zscaler ThreatLabZ study notes the extent to which shadow IT initiatives have complicated IoT security.)
Protecting valuable OT assets has never been more important. Addressing cybersecurity risk requires collaboration between OT and IT leadership, and goal alignment with business leaders. Protection begins with an enterprise audit of IoT/OT devices, followed by establishing secure, direct connectivity between those IoT/OT devices and data-traffic destinations.
Few people recognize the importance of mitigating OT cybersecurity risk more than Anthony Atherton, Head of the Digitalization Enablement Center (DEC) at Siemens IT Strategy. Atherton has worked with Zscaler, his IT team, and business leaders across Siemens to develop and deploy comprehensive cybersecurity solutions for OT protection.
The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange secures more than one billion IoT transactions per month. Want to learn more about how Zscaler works with customers like Siemens to protect IoT/OT systems and data? Join Anthony and me at next month’s Zenith Live 2020, where we’ll co-present on this very topic. Our session “Securing Your IoT and OT Infrastructure” is scheduled for day two of the Americas, International, and Asia-Pacific editions of the premier global cloud event. This year, every seat’s in the front row as Zenith Live goes online and free. But space is limited!
