An OT SOC (Operational Technology Security Operations Center) is a security monitoring and response function purpose-built for industrial control systems, SCADA, and connected manufacturing environments. It uses passive, protocol-aware sensors instead of endpoint agents, understands industrial protocols like Modbus and DNP3, and prioritizes safety and uptime over confidentiality - the inverse of a traditional IT SOC.

How is OT security different from IT security?

OT security prioritizes safety and availability over confidentiality, deals with 15-to-30-year asset lifespans, cannot rely on frequent patching, and monitors deterministic industrial protocols. IT security prioritizes confidentiality, works with 3-to-5-year hardware refresh cycles, patches monthly, and inspects encrypted traffic. The tools, staffing, and response playbooks are meaningfully different.

IEC 62443 is the leading international standard for industrial cybersecurity, covering people, process, and technology across asset owners, integrators, and product suppliers. It defines security levels (SL 1-4), zones and conduits, and lifecycle requirements. Secure Traces uses IEC 62443 as the baseline framework for OT security assessments and program design across manufacturing, energy, and utilities.

Can you monitor SCADA and ICS systems without disrupting operations?

Yes. Secure Traces deploys passive network sensors that read a mirror of industrial traffic without injecting packets or requiring agents on control devices. Deployment is coordinated with plant engineers, follows IEC 62443 zone-and-conduit principles, and typically completes without any change to running processes - critical for environments where downtime is measured in millions per hour.

How do you handle legacy industrial equipment?

Legacy equipment is protected through compensating controls rather than patching: network segmentation, protocol-aware monitoring, strict allow-lists, jump hosts with recorded sessions, and OT-specific detection rules. Where vendor support has ended, virtual patching and micro-segmentation contain risk until equipment can be replaced in a planned refresh cycle.

Protect critical infrastructure

OT SOC - Operational Technology Security

Advanced OT cybersecurity solutions that secure industrial environments, minimize operational risk, and ensure resilience across critical systems.

Secure Traces OT security services protect industrial control systems, SCADA, and connected manufacturing environments with a dedicated OT SOC, passive asset discovery, IEC 62443-aligned controls, and 24×7 threat monitoring. Built for plant, energy, utilities, and pharma operations leaders, the practice reduces cyber-physical risk without disrupting production and closes the gap between IT security and plant-floor reality.

OT SOCSegmentationIEC 62443Zero TrustOT IR

Explore capabilities Capability Statement

Capabilities: 5
Delivery: Global
Engagement: Managed

Protect critical infrastructure

Defend industrial environments without disrupting operations.

Discover

Deep-dive assessment and current-state architecture review.

Engineer

Design, harden, and deploy with senior practitioners.

Operate

24×7 managed operations with measurable SLAs.

Our perspective

Built for the realities of the environment.

OT security differs significantly from traditional IT security - it protects physical systems and industrial processes where safety, reliability, and uptime are paramount. Our approach balances strong cybersecurity controls with operational continuity to safeguard critical infrastructure without impacting performance or safety.

What we deliver

Capabilities engineered for measurable impact.

Practice scope

Integrated capabilities - designed, delivered, and operated by senior practitioners.

Capability

OT Security Monitoring & Threat Detection (OT SOC)

Continuous monitoring and threat detection tailored for industrial environments - deep OT protocol expertise plus advanced analytics, without disrupting operations.

Operational impact

Enhances situational awareness across industrial environments while preserving system stability and operational uptime.

Key capabilities

24/7 monitoring of ICS/SCADA and industrial networks
OT-specific threat detection and anomaly analysis
Integration with IT SOC for unified visibility
Passive network monitoring (non-intrusive)
Threat intelligence aligned to industrial threats
Incident response tailored to operational environments

Capability

OT Asset Visibility & Network Segmentation

Comprehensive discovery and segmentation to identify all OT assets and establish secure network boundaries aligned with industry frameworks.

Operational impact

Reduces attack surfaces and limits lateral movement while improving visibility into unmanaged or legacy OT devices.

Key capabilities

Passive asset discovery and inventory mapping
Industrial protocol identification and analysis
Network architecture review and segmentation design
Purdue Model and ISA/IEC 62443 alignment
Secure zone and conduit implementation
Microsegmentation for critical assets

Capability

OT Risk Assessments & Security Compliance

Evaluate vulnerabilities, operational risks, and compliance readiness across industrial environments without disrupting critical processes.

Operational impact

Provides clear visibility into OT risks and aligns security investments with operational and regulatory requirements.

Key capabilities

OT-focused cybersecurity risk assessments
NIST, IEC 62443, NERC CIP, and industry framework alignment
Security maturity and gap analysis
Architecture and configuration reviews
Safety and operational risk analysis
Remediation roadmaps and prioritization

Capability

Secure Remote Access & Identity Management for OT

Secure access controls for engineers, vendors, and operators requiring remote connectivity to critical industrial systems.

Operational impact

Reduces risks from third-party access and credential compromise while maintaining operational efficiency.

Key capabilities

Zero Trust remote access for OT environments
Privileged access management (PAM) for operators and vendors
Session monitoring and recording
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) integration
Secure jump hosts and controlled access gateways
Identity-based monitoring for operational systems

Capability

OT Incident Response & Cyber Resilience

Specialized incident response and resilience services designed to minimize downtime and maintain safety during cyber events impacting industrial systems.

Operational impact

Strengthens preparedness and enables rapid, coordinated response to minimize operational disruption and safety risks.

Key capabilities

OT-specific incident response planning
Playbooks aligned to industrial environments
Cyber-physical risk mitigation strategies
Backup, recovery, and resilience planning
Tabletop exercises and simulations
Integration with safety and engineering teams

The Pitfalls of DIY SOC Operations

Building a SOC that spans IT and OT - without the common missteps.

Read article

Get started

Discuss your protect critical infrastructure roadmap with our team.

Tell us where you are today and we will outline the fastest path forward - scope, milestones, and measurable outcomes for protect critical infrastructure. No obligation, just a clear plan.

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At a glance

IT security vs OT security - key differences

IT security vs OT security - key differences
Dimension	IT security	OT security
Primary objective	Confidentiality	Safety & availability
Asset lifespan	3-5 years	15-30 years
Patch cadence	Monthly	Rare / plant-window only
Traffic profile	Diverse, encrypted	Deterministic, often plaintext
Standard frameworks	NIST CSF, ISO 27001	IEC 62443, NIST 800-82
Monitoring approach	Active EDR, agents	Passive discovery, protocol-aware

What's included

Specific deliverables you can hold us to.

Every engagement scope is written as a concrete list of artefacts and services - not aspirations. Below is the baseline set included in a standard protect critical infrastructure engagement.

Passive OT asset discovery and protocol-aware inventory
OT SOC monitoring with 24×7 analyst coverage
ICS/SCADA-specific detection content and threat intelligence
Network segmentation aligned to Purdue Model levels 0-5
IEC 62443 zone-and-conduit design and security-level target definition
Secure remote access for OEM vendors and engineers via jump hosts
OT incident response playbooks and tabletop exercises with plant operations
OT risk assessments mapped to IEC 62443, NIST 800-82, and NERC CIP
Virtual patching and compensating controls for unpatchable legacy assets
Bridging with the IT SOC for unified incident handling

How we deliver

A phased engagement built for outcomes and audit trails.

Phase · Weeks 1-4

Assess

Site walkdowns and network architecture review with plant engineering
Passive sensor pilot on one production line or substation
Asset inventory and communication baseline
IEC 62443 gap analysis and risk register

Phase · Months 2-6

Segment & Deploy

Zone-and-conduit design and firewall / DMZ rollout
Sensor deployment across sites (Nozomi, Claroty, or Dragos)
Secure remote access architecture and vendor onboarding
IR playbooks integrated with plant safety procedures

Phase · Ongoing

Operate

24×7 OT SOC monitoring with cyber-physical severity model
Continuous asset discovery and change monitoring
Annual purple-team exercises coordinated with plant windows
Compliance evidence for NERC CIP, TSA pipeline directives, or NIS2

Who this is for

Built for a specific buyer and situation.

Company size: Multi-site operators with 3+ plants, refineries, substations, or facilities
Industries: Manufacturing, pharma manufacturing, energy and utilities, oil and gas, water, transportation
Situation: Operations and security leaders who need OT visibility and incident response without disrupting production, especially where legacy Windows XP / Server 2003 HMIs and unpatchable PLCs coexist with modern MES and cloud analytics.

Tooling & partners

Named platforms we engineer with.

Nozomi Networks GuardianPassive OT asset discovery and threat detection
Claroty xDome / CTDOT/IoT/IoMT visibility and vulnerability management
Dragos PlatformICS-specific threat detection and hunting
Cisco Cyber VisionOT visibility integrated with IE switches
Xage / BeyondTrustZero-trust OT remote access
Palo Alto IoT SecurityDevice profiling and segmentation
Wireshark / ZeekOT protocol inspection (Modbus, DNP3, S7, OPC UA)

Standards & frameworks

IEC 62443-2-1, 62443-3-2, 62443-3-3
NIST SP 800-82 Rev. 3
NERC CIP-002 through CIP-014
TSA Pipeline Security Directives
EU NIS2 Directive
ISA/IEC Purdue Reference Model

FAQ

Protect critical infrastructure FAQs

Common questions about Secure Traces protect critical infrastructure services.

OT SOC - Operational Technology Security

Built for the realities of the environment.

Capabilities engineered for measurable impact.

OT Security Monitoring & Threat Detection (OT SOC)

OT Asset Visibility & Network Segmentation

OT Risk Assessments & Security Compliance

Secure Remote Access & Identity Management for OT

OT Incident Response & Cyber Resilience

The Pitfalls of DIY SOC Operations

Discuss your protect critical infrastructure roadmap with our team.

Explore related services.

Artificial Intelligence Solutions & Services

Cybersecurity

Healthcare & Pharmacy Technology

IT security vs OT security - key differences

Specific deliverables you can hold us to.

A phased engagement built for outcomes and audit trails.

Assess

Segment & Deploy

Operate

Built for a specific buyer and situation.

Named platforms we engineer with.

Protect critical infrastructure FAQs

What is an OT SOC?

How is OT security different from IT security?

What is IEC 62443?

Can you monitor SCADA and ICS systems without disrupting operations?

How do you handle legacy industrial equipment?

Ready to advance your protect critical infrastructure strategy?