Securing Industrial Environments: 360º IT/OT Cybersecurity

Digital transformation has rewritten the rules of the game across industries. In just a few years, production plants, energy networks, hospitals, and water systems have gone from being isolated environments to becoming integrated into interconnected digital ecosystems. This evolution  — driven by the need for efficiency, real-time analysis, and increased competitiveness — came with a major challenge: the convergence of IT (information technology) and OT (operational technology). 

This convergence, while undoubtedly necessary for business, introduces a broader and more complex attack surface. We are no longer just talking about protecting data integrity and confidentiality. Ensuring the availability of operations is now just as critical, if not more. In industrial environments, a successful cyberattack can not only halt production but also put human lives at risk. 

At Minsait Cyber, we’ve seen this trend accelerate rapidly. Our Cyber Defense Centers, located across the Americas and Europe, detected 23 active threat groups in 2025 focused on compromising industrial systems — up from 18 identified in 2022. This represents a 15% increase in specialized malicious actors. Even more concerning: 80% of incidents recorded in industrial plants originate from poorly segmented IT networks. 

These figures highlight a reality that must be addressed urgently: The industrial sector must adopt a 360º cybersecurity approach that encompasses not only traditional IT infrastructure, but also OT environments and, increasingly, identity management as a transversal component. 

Why do we speak of resilience? 

Because it's no longer just about protecting systems, the real challenge is ensuring business continuity in the face of a cybersecurity incident. Resilience doesn't just mean withstanding impact, it also means recovering quickly, maintaining service quality, and learning from experience to strengthen systems in the future. 

Cybersecurity must become a competitive advantage, not just a technical requirement. To achieve this, there are five strategic pillars every industrial organization should include in its roadmap: 

1. Total visibility: Asset inventory and classification 
The first step is fundamental but often overlooked: You can’t protect what you don’t understand. In industrial environments, this means not only listing connected devices but also understanding their function, criticality, and exposure within production processes. This visibility enables prioritization and the implementation of differentiated controls, especially for legacy systems that can’t be easily updated. 

This inventory must be dynamic. It should be integrated into a vulnerability management system and updated continuously. Today, technologies exist that automate this process and help build a solid foundation for any cybersecurity strategy. 

2. Operational and technological risk assessment 
Not all assets have the same value to the business, nor do all attack scenarios generate the same impact. That’s why it's essential to perform a risk assessment for OT environments, including both technological aspects (vulnerabilities, insecure configurations, outdated protocols) and operational ones (tolerance to downtime, recovery times, redundancy). 

This diagnosis should be carried out plant by plant. Unlike the IT world, where samples can be used, in OT the analysis must be localized. This evaluation allows organizations to allocate resources based on business reality and justify investments in protection through an economic impact lens. 

3. OT network segmentation and IT/OT integration 
One of the most common mistakes in industrial environments is the lack of segmentation between IT and OT networks — a weakness repeatedly exploited by attackers. The solution is to implement segmentation based on process architecture, using security zones and communication conduits between them. 

This segmentation must align with standards such as ISA/IEC 62443 and consider technologies like industrial firewalls, whitelisting policies, and demilitarized zones (for example, Purdue Model Level 3.5). Only then is it possible to contain threats without compromising operations. 

4. Secure remote access and identity management 
In distributed environments, where manufacturers or suppliers remotely access plants, it’s vital to implement strict privileged access controls. This includes multifactor authentication, session monitoring, jump servers, and — critically — the separation of identity management between IT and OT. 

This last point is key: If a compromised IT identity can move laterally into OT, the organization is at risk. Separating domains and applying differentiated controls effectively mitigates this threat. 

5. Context-adapted detection and response 
Most traditional SOCs are designed for IT. But OT requires a different approach, it must understand industrial protocols, recognize operational patterns, and avoid false positives that could disrupt critical processes. 

Our advanced detection and response service is equipped to operate in OT environments. It can detect incidents within 15 minutes and reduce false positives to just 2%. With AI and automated response, it is supported by the expertise of over 800 professionals specialized in detection and response, working across Minsait Cyber’s global Cyber Defense Centers. 

Looking Ahead: Governance, Culture, and Continuity 
Beyond technical controls, cybersecurity strategy must be a shared responsibility. Clear governance is essential, with specific roles for IT and OT, separate budgets, and a unified vision of resilience. This must be complemented by a strong security culture that includes simulations, training, and awareness as part of daily operations. 

Finally, we cannot speak of resilience without a solid operational continuity plan for incidents. This ranges from recovering PLC configurations to implementing manual protocols for degraded operation. Tabletop exercises and realistic simulations are indispensable tools to ensure preparedness. 

The connected industry represents a unique opportunity to become more competitive, agile, and efficient. But it also forces us to rethink how we protect what matters most: operational continuity. OT cybersecurity is not an extension of the IT world, it is a distinct ecosystem that demands attention, investment, and strategic vision. 

Those organizations that understand this in time will be better prepared for the future. Those that don’t will assume an increasingly costly and dangerous risk.