OT
Operational Technology
Betriebstechnik
OT denotes the hardware and software that directly monitors and controls physical processes and plants — in contrast to classic, data-processing IT. This includes controllers, sensors and supervisory systems in manufacturing, energy, water or building technology. In OT, what counts first is availability and the safety of the physical process.
History & facts. OT systems were operated in isolation for decades and designed for continuous availability; cybersecurity was not a design criterion. With IT/OT convergence — for remote maintenance or data analysis, say — the former isolation disappears, and vulnerabilities become exploitable that were never meant for a connected world. Unlike in IT, an outage here can directly endanger people, the environment and plants.
Outlook & recommendation. With the Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS2) extension to industry and utilities and the standards IEC 62443 — Security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IEC 62443) (security) and IEC 61508 — Functional Safety of E/E/PE Systems (IEC 61508)/61511 (safety), OT security moves into the mandatory domain. Since active intervention is risky, passive monitoring, strict segmentation and controlled remote access are the load-bearing measures. Monitoring OT environments without operational disruption is part of NEOSEC's service profile.