Threats posed by industrial cyber security have steadily been gaining relevance over the past twenty years. Presently, when the idea of Internet of Things (IoT) is beginning to pervade all areas of industrial operation, cyber security is set to take on a new dimension, necessitating a more rigorous and robust approach.

The paper’s key intent is to indicate how the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) will close the gap between safety and security that currently exists in industrial processes.

“Industrial cyber security is primarily about combining the principles of safety from the OT environment and the ideals of security from the IT environment,” notes Frost & Sullivan Industrial IoT Programme Manager Karthik Sundaram. “A lack of clarity in this aspect has made it difficult for end users to understand and identify security as a critical issue that needs systematic investment”.

A considerable part of this analysis has been entirely devoted to articulating and exploring the best cyber security approach that industrial customers need to establish within their operating environments. This includes a deep dive into the concept of “defense-in-depth” and its implications for a converged IT-OT environment in the future.

The prime objective of this research is to emphasise clearly on why we need to move beyond discussions and approach industrial cyber security as an essential and undeniable condition for a connected enterprise.