Why OT Cybersecurity Is Different
Operational Technology (OT) — the PLCs, SCADA systems, DCS, and RTUs that control physical processes — was designed for reliability and determinism, not security. Most OT protocols (Modbus, DNP3, Profibus) have no authentication or encryption. Many OT devices cannot be patched without taking the controlled process offline. In IT, the priority is Confidentiality → Integrity → Availability (CIA). In OT, it is Availability → Integrity → Confidentiality — a plant cannot stop production every time a security patch is released.