The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and government partners have released a new guide to accelerate zero trust adoption in OT (operational technology) environments. Titled ‘Adapting Zero Trust Principles to Operational Technology,’ the guide outlines practical steps for applying zero trust in environments that often face constraints such as legacy systems, limited visibility, and uptime requirements. It emphasizes the need for comprehensive asset visibility, stronger identity and access controls, and more secure supply chains, while offering a framework to help organizations prioritize and implement zero trust strategies in complex OT settings.
As OT systems become increasingly interconnected, digitally monitored, and remotely operated, attack surfaces are expanding and cyber risks are multiplying. Improperly secured pathways give threat actors entry points into both IT and OT networks. Zero trust principles, adapted carefully to OT’s operational realities, can help owners and operators close these gaps, protecting the critical physical processes these systems control from compromise, manipulation, and disruption, without…
