OT protection: is air-gapping the answer?

Cyberattacks on operational technology (OT) were virtually unknown until five years ago, but their volume has been doubling since 2009. This threat is distinct from IT-focused vulnerabilities that cybersecurity measures regularly address. The risk associated with OT compromise is substantial: power or cooling failures can cripple an entire facility, potentially for weeks or months.

Many organizations believe they have air-gapped (isolated from IT networks) OT systems, protecting them against external threats. The term is often used incorrectly, however, which means exploits are harder to anticipate. Data center managers need to understand the nature of the threat and their defense options to protect their critical environments.