Part 2: OT Security Use Cases – Delivering Business Value Across Industries

In this series’ initial segment, we examined why IT/OT convergence is more than just a technical undertaking—it’s a business transformation with strategic implications. We discussed the cultural divide between IT and OT, the risks of inaction, and the potential for security to become a business enabler.

Part 2 will delve into the real-world use cases propelling OT security investments across various industries. We will consider more than theoretical benefits and focus on tangible, business-oriented value, including cost savings, risk reduction, compliance, and competitive differentiation.

Each sector has challenges and priorities, but one thing is constant: security is no longer just a support function. It is a fundamental capability for operational resilience and innovation.

1. Manufacturing: Protecting Productivity in the Age of Smart Factories

There is a constant and unwavering push for digital transformation in the industrial manufacturing sector. These plants incorporate sensors, implement IIoT platforms, and integrate legacy machinery with centralized analytics engines. The objective is clear. The company has achieved improved Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), reduced downtime, and greater flexibility in production lines.

However, as factory floors become increasingly interconnected, they become more vulnerable. A ransomware attack on a production line can lead to significant business disruptions, including file encryption, interruption of production processes, damage to equipment, and potential compromise of worker safety.

Use Cases:

• Predictive Maintenance: Secure access to machine telemetry helps reduce unscheduled downtime—but only if attackers can’t tamper with or fake data.
• Remote Access for Technicians: Secure and audited remote sessions are critical for reducing mean-time-to-repair (MTTR), especially for global operations.
• Asset Visibility & Anomaly Detection: Passive network monitoring tools provide early warning when devices behave abnormally, which is key in environments with decades-old PLCs.

Business Impact:

Manufacturers that invest in OT security see gains in protection, operational continuity, reduced downtime costs, and improved audibility for clients and regulators.

2. Energy and Utilities: Defending Critical Infrastructure

Energy providers are among the industries with the most at stake. These organizations oversee critical national infrastructure, including power generation, grid distribution, and gas pipelines, and they are subject to increasing regulatory scrutiny.

The integration of IT and OT here enables smarter load balancing, predictive maintenance, and decentralized grid management. However, this approach also introduces potential vulnerabilities, including state-sponsored attacks, supply chain compromises, and insider threats.

Use Cases:

• SCADA Protection: Ensuring real-time supervisory systems aren’t manipulated or disrupted.
• Substation Security: Micro-segmentation and threat detection in geographically distributed environments.
• Incident Response Coordination: Building playbooks and cross-domain visibility for rapid threat containment.

Business Impact:

OT security is essential for ensuring grid stability, adhering to regulatory compliance standards such as NIS2 and IEC 62443, and fostering public trust. Additionally, it facilitates digital optimization initiatives that contribute to cost reductions and carbon emission reductions.

3. Transportation and Logistics: Enabling Resilient, Connected Operations

Transportation organizations increasingly rely on connected OT systems from airports and seaports to rail networks and fleet operators to synchronize assets, track movement, and maintain uptime.

These systems, often geographically dispersed, necessitate secure connectivity and real-time responsiveness. However, this also makes them vulnerable to disruption, such as denial-of-service attacks, GPS spoofing, or malware infections.

Use Cases:

• Asset Tracking & Telematics: Ensuring location and condition data from vehicles or containers is authentic and tamper-proof.
• ICS in Control Centers: Safeguarding train signaling systems or airfield lighting against compromise.
• Remote Diagnostics & Maintenance: Allowing vendors and support teams to access OT systems securely from anywhere.

Business Impact:

Improved fleet uptime, logistics transparency, and passenger safety are essential for any business. Better risk management and incident traceability are also critical.

4. Water, Waste, and Public Services: Building Digital Resilience

Public infrastructure often plays a vital yet unheralded role in modern life. OT systems play a crucial behind-the-scenes role in managing water treatment plants, waste management facilities, and urban infrastructure. Historically isolated, these systems are now integrated into the digital landscape as municipalities modernize.

Use Cases:

• Water Treatment Automation: Protecting chemical dosing and pressure controls from malicious manipulation.
• Smart City Systems: Ensuring sensors and control units (traffic, lighting, etc.) can’t be hijacked.
• Compliance with Cybersecurity Regulations: Demonstrating due diligence under local or regional frameworks (e.g., NIS2).

Business Impact:

Digital public services are contingent on trust. OT security helps maintain service availability, citizen safety, and compliance, even in budget constraints.

5. Pharmaceutical and Chemical: Ensuring Quality and Compliance

Pharmaceutical and chemical production is subject to rigorous regulation and oversight. The integrity of batches, environmental controls, and worker safety depend on the precise calibration of OT systems. A cyberattack in this sector could result in production delays, non-compliance fines, or harm to human health.

Use Cases:

• Batch Processing Integrity: Ensuring recipes and timing are not tampered with.
• Access Controls for Operators: Limiting who can change process parameters or override alarms.
• Regulatory Reporting and Audit Trails: Ensuring forensic visibility into what changed, when, and why.

Business Impact:

OT security protects product quality, patient safety, and regulatory standing, while supporting digital transformation initiatives like continuous manufacturing.

Security as a Universal Business Enabler

Across all these industries, the theme is clear: OT security enables business goals. It allows organizations to innovate, optimize, and comply without compromising safety or availability. While the nature of the threats may vary, the need for visibility, control, and response remains constant.

Organizations that prioritize OT security as a strategic investment, rather than viewing it as just an IT project, are better positioned to deliver reliable services, reduce operational risk, and gain a competitive edge in a connected world.

Coming Up Next: Understanding the OT Threat Landscape

In the next part of our series, we will examine the evolving threat landscape in OT environments. We will explore how attack vectors change, the key threat actors, and why traditional IT security approaches often fall short in operational contexts.

Understanding the threats to which your OT environment is vulnerable is the first defense step.