OT & Industrial Security per IEC 62443.
Security for industrial control and automation systems — without compromising availability.
In production and industrial environments, Operational Technology (OT) systems are the heart of value creation. Their availability, integrity and security are business-critical — and increasingly the target of cyberattacks. The international standards series IEC 62443 defines best practices and requirements for securing industrial automation and control systems (IACS).
Five modules — one integrated OT security program.
Modular and operationally compatible. Each building block can be booked individually or run as a bundle — aligned to shift operations and maintenance windows.
IEC 62443 carries — but rarely alone.
OT security in regulated industries combines the standard with overarching compliance: NIS2, BSI Grundschutz, CRA and ISO 27001 complement the technical IEC 62443 core.
From asset inventory to audit readiness.
Six steps — modular, operationally friendly and aligned to the maturity of your OT landscape.
- 01
Asset & zone capture
Complete OT inventory, network map and zone/conduit model. Foundation of every IEC 62443 engagement.
- 02
Risk analysis
Threat and risk analysis per zone, identification of security-critical functions, definition of Security Level Targets (SL-T).
- 03
Gap analysis
Target/actual comparison against IEC 62443-3-3 (Foundational Requirements) and 4-2 (Component Requirements). Output: prioritized action plan.
- 04
Hardening & segmentation
Implementation of zone separation, access controls, logging and anomaly detection — aligned to maintenance windows.
- 05
Awareness & operations
Training of engineering, maintenance and control room. Build-up of an OT-specific incident response and patch management process.
- 06
Audit & monitoring
Internal audit, preparation of external assessments, continuous monitoring of security measures over the lifecycle.
Frequent questions on OT security.
What is the difference between IT and OT security?
IT security prioritizes confidentiality, then integrity, then availability (CIA triad in that order). OT reverses this: availability is the top protection goal, then integrity, then confidentiality. Patches cannot be applied at will, reboots can stop production, plant lifecycles span 20–30 years. IEC 62443 is built exactly for this reality — unlike pure IT standards.
How does IEC 62443 relate to ISO 27001?
ISO 27001 provides the organizational framework (ISMS) — roles, risk management, policies. IEC 62443 provides the OT-specific technical and process requirements. Both complement each other: the ISMS applies to the organization, IEC 62443 to the plants. For NIS2-bound industrial companies, we recommend the combination — ISO 27001 as roof, IEC 62443 as technical foundation for production.
What are zones and conduits exactly?
Zones are logical groups of assets with similar protection needs — e.g. a production cell, a control system or the OT-DMZ. Conduits are the controlled communication links between zones. The model (IEC 62443-3-2) allows systematic risk and protection-need assessment per connection — and is the basis for any meaningful segmentation.
How costly is an IEC 62443 implementation?
Very dependent on maturity and the number of plants. An initial asset capture + zone model + gap analysis for a plant with ~10 zones lies at 4–8 weeks. Full hardening and audit readiness typically take 6–18 months. We recommend a step-wise approach: first the most business-critical zones, then the rest.
Are we affected as a machinery / plant manufacturer?
Yes — twice. As a manufacturer, you must deliver secure products yourself once CRA (Cyber Resilience Act) takes effect from December 2027. As a supplier to industrial customers, you are increasingly asked for IEC 62443-conformant components (IEC 62443-4-1 for processes, 4-2 for components). We help both with the build-up of a secure-by-design development process and with the proof toward customers.
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Valeri Milke, CEO of VamiSec
"Only when all instruments are well-tuned does your organization become secure and compliant."