Let’s be honest, OT security has got a bit of a reputation for being complicated and overwhelming. Loads of organisations don’t know where to start, how to pull together a sensible plan, or how to keep it all ticking over. But here’s the thing: simplifying OT security doesn’t mean cutting corners. It just means focusing on what matters, in a straightforward, no-nonsense way.
At Harpoon Consulting, we’ve boiled it down to an easy-to-follow approach. Using our “Discover, Design, Implement, Embed, Grow” framework, we help organisations sort their OT security in just three simple steps:
- Understand your OT Landscape
- Build a Security Plan that Fits your Organisation
- Make Security Part of Everyday Life
Let’s break it down.
Understand your OT Landscape
First things first—you’ve got to know what you’re working with. That means:
- Figuring out all your OT assets, networks, and systems.
- Checking where you’re most at risk.
- Understanding what regulations you need to worry about, there are a few and it depends what country you’re reading this article in.
- Spotting and understand how your OT and IT worlds overlap.
How “Discover” and “Design” Help:
- Discover: Do a proper asset discovery exercise—find every important bit of kit, connection, and weak spots.
- Design: Build a security roadmap that actually fits your business and industry, not some generic template.
Skip this step, and you’ll end up with a patchy security setup that’s more headache than help. Taking the time to map it out now will save you a world of pain later.
Build a Security Plan that Fits your Organisation
Once you’ve got the lay of the land, it’s time to get some proper security measures in place. We call this the “Implement” phase.
Key areas to focus on:
- Network segmentation to stop threats spreading like wildfire.
- Access control to make sure only the right people can get near your important systems.
- Monitoring and anomaly detection to catch dodgy activity quickly.
- Incident response planning so you’re ready if (when) something does go wrong.
The “Implement” Phase in Action:
- Get the basics done first. Quick wins like multi-factor authentication (MFA), secure remote access, and a bit of staff training can cut your risk massively straight away.
- Use automation where you can, it keeps things fast, consistent, and less prone to human slip-ups.
And here’s a big one: Prioritise your vulnerabilities. Not everything is a five-alarm fire. Some issues need fixing yesterday; others can wait their turn.
You need to tie everything back to your crown jewels, the parts of your operation that actually make you money. Think about it like this: if you’re running a grated cheese factory, and your automated cheese grating machine goes down, you’d better have an army of people with hand graters ready to go, otherwise your supply chain is toast. Protect what matters most first. Always.
Make Security Part of Everyday Life
Getting the basics in place is only half the battle. You’ve got to make sure security sticks, and keeps improving.
The “Embed & Grow” Approach:
- Embed security into your daily ops with proper policies, procedures, and regular training.
- Grow by keeping an eye on new threats, updating your defences, and levelling up your security game over time.
- Run regular audits and health checks to stay on track (and out of trouble with the regulators).
- Make sure IT, OT, and leadership are all on the same page—security needs champions across the board.
If you don’t embed it properly, security fatigue will creep in. Things start slipping, gaps open up, and before you know it, you’re back at square one. Keep it real, keep it alive.
Conclusion
Simplifying OT security doesn’t mean making it flimsy, it means focusing on what actually matters. Using our “Discover, Design, Implement, Embed, Grow” framework, any organisation can:
- Understand and assess their risks (Discover, Design)
- Put solid security measures in place (Implement)
- Keep security strong and growing (Embed, Grow)
Three simple steps. Big results.
If you’re ready to stop overcomplicating OT security and start getting it sorted, we’re ready to help. Give Harpoon Consulting a shout—we’ll help you build OT security that’s simple, secure, and sustainable.
