Glossary · OT cybersecurity
Operational technology (OT)
Also known as: OT
German: Operational Technology (OT)
Operational technology (OT) is the hardware and software that monitors or controls physical devices, processes and events, such as PLCs, DCS, SCADA systems, drives, robots, safety controllers and building automation. It interacts with the physical world, which makes availability and safety primary concerns.
- OT security
In one sentence
Operational technology (OT) is hardware and software that monitors or controls physical devices and processes, such as PLCs, SCADA and robots.
Example
In a car body shop, the welding robots, conveyor PLCs and safety controllers are OT, while the ERP and email servers are IT.
How it applies
- Engineering: OT systems have long lifecycles, real-time requirements and certified configurations. Changes such as patches can require testing or revalidation, which affects how security is done.
- Operation: Priorities differ from IT: in OT, availability and integrity of control come first, and safety of people and plant is non-negotiable. Security measures must not endanger either.
- Organization: IT/OT convergence connects plant systems to enterprise systems and the cloud, which increases exposure and requires clear responsibility between IT and OT teams.
- Documentation: Documentation for OT products must address readers from both worlds: automation engineers who know the process, and IT security staff who know networks. Define terms such as zone, controller or runtime where they are first used.
OT vs. IT
IT processes information; OT controls physical processes. The same technologies (Ethernet, Windows, Linux) appear in both, but the consequences of failure differ: an OT failure can stop production or create a hazard.