Samuel Nixon Jr
Operational technology (OT) is comprised of the systems and devices used to control and monitor physical processes, often in industrial or critical infrastructure environments and utilizing OEM-proprietary equipment. OT systems are designed to manage machinery, equipment, and processes, ensuring they operate effectively and safely, distinct from IT, which focuses on data processing and information management and uses near-universal standards.
For decades, OT was separate from IT – self-contained, not connected to the internet at all. But the capabilities offered by connecting the two – from tracking inventories of material to up-to-the-minute financial information – have proved far too valuable. The Internet of Things (IoT) is one example, with millions of smart devices gathering billions of data bits. Today, many ostensibly standalone OT systems can be reached by hackers entering through insecure IT systems, posing serious risk to infrastructure such electric transmission and distribution systems, water treatment facilities and more.