GigaOm Radar for Operational Technology (OT) Securityv2.0

1. Executive Summary

Operational technology (OT) security solutions are crucial for organizations aiming to fortify their defenses and safeguard their assets from an array of emerging threats. They offer a comprehensive toolkit that includes automated asset discovery, dynamic network segmentation, and AI-powered threat detection systems. By leveraging these tools, organizations can gain deep visibility into their OT assets, identify potential vulnerabilities, and swiftly respond to evolving threats.

The importance of OT security solutions is underscored by the increasing reliance on operational technology across various industries. Sectors such as manufacturing, energy, transportation, and healthcare depend on OT for their day-to-day operations, making them attractive targets for cyberattacks. OT security solutions provide a robust framework to secure these critical systems, ensuring uninterrupted services and maintaining the safety and reliability of operations.

A key strength of OT security solutions lies in their ability to address the particular challenges inherent in OT environments. These include the presence of legacy systems, specialized protocols, and interconnected devices that may not have built-in security measures. OT security solutions offer protocol and application decoding, enabling organizations to understand and secure these complex environments effectively. By integrating with existing IT security systems, OT security solutions provide a unified view of the entire infrastructure, facilitating better management and response capabilities.

The market for OT security solutions is rapidly maturing, driven by the urgent need to secure critical infrastructure and industrial systems. Vendors in this space are continuously innovating to meet the diverse requirements of organizations across industries. Some vendors bring expertise from related fields, enhancing their OT security offerings, while others have emerged specifically to address the unique challenges of securing operational technology. This evolving landscape ensures a constant flow of innovative solutions, providing organizations with effective tools to protect their OT assets.

The target audience for OT security solutions encompasses a wide range of organizations that rely on operational technology for their core operations. These include industries with stringent safety and reliability requirements, such as manufacturing, where any disruption can have significant economic and societal impacts. Energy providers, transportation networks, and healthcare facilities also fall into this category, as they increasingly adopt digital technologies while ensuring the security and availability of their critical systems.

OT security solutions are vital for organizations seeking to secure their operational technology infrastructure. By providing automated discovery, dynamic segmentation, AI-powered threat detection, and specialized OT security capabilities, these solutions help organizations protect their assets, maintain operational continuity, and mitigate the risk of cyberattacks. With the increasing convergence of IT and OT systems, the demand for robust OT security solutions will continue to rise, driving innovation and ensuring the resilience of critical infrastructure and industrial operations worldwide.

This is our second year evaluating the OT Security space in the context of our Key Criteria and Radar reports. This report builds on our previous analysis and considers how the market has evolved over the last year.

This GigaOm Radar report examines 19 of the top OT security solutions and compares offerings against the capabilities (table stakes, key features, and emerging features) and nonfunctional requirements (business criteria) outlined in the companion Key Criteria report. Together, these reports provide an overview of the market, identify leading OT security offerings, and help decision-makers evaluate these solutions so they can make a more informed investment decision.