Page 217 - Cyber Defense eMagazine RSAC Special Edition 2025

Securing the Connected Factory Floor

By Almog Apirion, CEO and Co-Founder of Cyolo

As manufacturers strive to keep pace with changing demands and quickly evolving technologies, many
are embracing digitalization and increased connectivity between information technology (IT) and
operational technology (OT) environments. The upsides of this transformation include greater productivity
and improved efficiency.

The downside? Unprecedented cybersecurity attacks against cyber-physical systems (CPS).

A recent Telstra survey found that 80% of manufacturing firms experienced increased security incidents
in the past year, highlighting the urgent need for more effective OT/CPS security strategies. While IT
systems have long been equipped with security controls, cybersecurity is still emerging as a key priority
for many industrial enterprises. At the same time, cyber-threats often evolve faster than OT networks can
keep up with, creating new vulnerabilities at every turn.

For these reasons, securing OT environments requires a paradigm shift – moving beyond traditional
security approaches such as VPNs and perimeter-based defenses to embrace zero-trust security,
identity-based access, and real-time monitoring. Critically, this shift must also acknowledge the
fundamental difference between detection and protection. While detection mechanisms focus on

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