Industrial Cybersecurity

Industrial cybersecurity covers all the practices and technologies that protect factory data, connected machines and operational networks. For manufacturers, it ensures production continuity, data integrity and protection from attacks that can disrupt equipment or alter critical parameters.

What Is Industrial Cybersecurity?

Industrial cybersecurity safeguards OT systems, sensors, PLCs, supervision software and data flows that control physical processes. Unlike traditional IT protection, industrial cybersecurity focuses on operational environments and machine-level risks.

In this context, industrial IT security helps prevent ransomware, unauthorized access and manipulation of machine parameters that could stop production.

OT Security and Industrial Networks

OT security for industry focuses on defending operational systems built on heterogeneous or legacy machines. Industrial network security includes protecting communications, segmenting OT networks, enforcing access control and securing encrypted connections to cloud platforms or management software. Combined, these practices strengthen industrial cybersecurity and create resilient, stable production environments.

Discover why industrial cybersecurity is essential for modern factories

Our latest article goes into detail on the real risks, impacts and concrete actions manufacturers can take regarding cybersecurity.

Tips on how to implement Industrial Cybersecurity

Segment Your OT Network

A well-designed segmentation strategy is one of the most effective ways to strengthen industrial cybersecurity. Separating OT assets, production cells and critical controllers helps contain attacks and prevents them from spreading from IT systems into the shop floor. For manufacturers with mixed legacy and modern equipment, this is a key pillar of OT security for industry: it reduces the attack surface, limits unauthorized lateral movement and ensures that sensitive operational processes remain isolated and protected.

Use Cryptographic Device Identity

Every connected device should have a verifiable and tamper-proof identity. Secure elements, hardware certificates and unique cryptographic keys ensure that machines, gateways and sensors can be authenticated before joining the network. This reinforces both industrial IT security and industrial network security by making it harder for malicious actors to impersonate devices or inject falsified data. A strong provisioning process also ensures long-term trust in machine-to-machine communication.

Keep Firmware and Access Controls Updated

Unpatched firmware and outdated access credentials are among the most common vulnerabilities in industrial cybersecurity. Many industrial assets remain operational for years without updates, becoming easy entry points for attackers. Keeping firmware, drivers and network components updated reduces known weaknesses and aligns machines with modern security standards. In parallel, managing user roles, privileges and authentication policies ensures that only authorized personnel can interact with critical OT systems.

Monitor Energy Use and Machine States

Tracking energy consumption, machine states and operational patterns is not only useful for efficiency; it also contributes to industrial cybersecurity. Abnormal consumption peaks, unexpected idle times or irregular behaviour can indicate equipment malfunction or potential intrusion attempts. Continuous monitoring strengthens OT security for industry by enabling operators to spot anomalies early and intervene before small irregularities turn into production-critical incidents. It also supports industrial network security by highlighting suspicious communication patterns or inconsistencies in data flows.