According to the analytical company Gartner, by 2025 cybercriminals will be armed with technical means that can cause physical damage and even kill people. Gartner refers to them as “operational technology (OT) – hardware and software that detects or causes changes by directly monitoring and / or managing industrial equipment, assets, processes and events.”
OT attacks have become more prevalent, according to Gartner. They have also evolved from a simple process disruption, such as stopping a plant, to disrupting an industrial environment with the intent to cause physical harm. Recent events, in particular the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, the largest pipeline system in the United States, have highlighted the need to have properly segmented IT and OT networks.
“In operational environments, security and risk leaders need to worry more about real threats to humans and the environment, rather than information theft,” Wam Voster, senior research director at Gartner, told you. “Inquiries from Gartner customers show that organizations in resource-intensive industries such as manufacturing, resources and utilities are having a hard time identifying appropriate control systems.”


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