The age of convergence describes the rapid connectivity in recent years as Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) have come together in unprecedented ways. These two environments have historically stayed separate, but as OT devices connect to the internet, these previously-air gapped assets have become exposed to cyber criminals looking for blindspots on the network of industrial manufacturing companies. To protect these networks and these mission critical devices, Claroty and Amazon Web Services are working in collaboration to offer comprehensive cybersecurity for cyber-physical systems (CPS), that is, the OT, IoT, BAS, and many other devices connected to your network.
In the webinar CPS Security in the Age of Convergence: What CISOs Need to Know, we discuss the current state of cybersecurity in industrial manufacturing, why traditional methods can’t protect against increasing cyber attacks, and why the convergence between IT and OT environments requires a purpose-built solution built to handle the complexities of CPS. Below are the top three takeaways CISOs need to know from this conversation.
1. Disruptions from Cyber Attacks are Increasing
As digital transformation increases the attack surface of industrial manufacturing environments, cyber attackers are taking advantage and disrupting critical operations. From 2021 to 2025 several key ransomware attacks have targeted manufacturing operations and critical infrastructure, from the largest publicly disclosed critical infrastructure attack on Colonial Pipeline in 2021 to the Dole Foods Ransomware attack in 2023, which shut down production for two weeks, and most recently the Ghost Ransomware attack on CPS, which exploited outdated systems across critical infrastructure, technology, and manufacturing companies.
When critical infrastructure and manufacturing companies are hit with cyber attacks, disruptions and downtime can have devastating consequences. Financial impacts, productivity loss, negative business outcomes, and even threats to assets and physical safety can arise from disruptions. According to The Global State of CPS Security 2024: Busines Impact of Disruptions, 67% of respondents incurred at least $100,000 in financial losses due to a cyber attack and 49% of organizations with CPS experienced 12+ hours or downtime because of a cyber incident. The increasing threat of cyber attacks demands a thorough cybersecurity strategy that takes into consideration the increased attack surface brought about by digital transformation and the convergence of IT and OT environments.
2. Current Approaches to CPS Cyber Security Fall Short
Industrial manufacturing companies rely on myriad technological tools and assets, with environments comprising both IT and OT. The IT environments include things like servers and laptops, devices with standard protocols that are usually connected to the internet and are compatible with most security solutions. OT environments, on the other hand, feature diverse assets with proprietary protocols and legacy operating systems that are incompatible with most security solutions. Trying to secure cyber-physical systems, including OT, building automation systems (BAS), and Internet of Things (IoT) with traditional, IT-focused security solutions will not adequately protect the complexities of the CPS environment.
Traditional approaches to cybersecurity often leverage IT solutions, which are incompatible with OT systems and can introduce operational risk with active queries. On the other hand, passive-only asset discovery techniques are antiquated, require additional hardware, and provide an incomplete asset inventory which can leave some assets in the environment unprotected. These two methods ultimately offer a lack of actionable insights, which is a weak foundation for CPS cybersecurity because organizations are unable to gain real time results that can improve operations and business outcomes.
3. OT Environments Require a CPS-Specific Security Solution
In the convergence of IT and OT environments, protecting OT requires a specialized approach. Your OT environment is an asset to protect, but is also typically outdated and not built for connectivity and cybersecurity, making OT a big target for adversaries. In fact, more and more cyber attackers view OT as the crown jewel for ransomware, specifically on the manufacturing floor. While attacks on IT can usually be quickly thwarted and shut down before they penetrate too deeply, OT is much more complex. With such a wide variety of OT devices on the manufacturing floor, all with different operating systems and proprietary protocols, this complex environment requires cybersecurity tools built to handle the intricacies of these devices.
A strategy built on CPS-specific cybersecurity for your OT environment stats first and foremost with a foundation of asset visibility. By using multiple discovery methods to uncover every device connected to your network, you can ensure a complete asset inventory and know that every device can be protected. From there, implementing comprehensive exposure management, network protection, threat detection, and secure access allows you to protect OT in a way that is impossible with traditional cybersecurity methods.
Claroty and AWS: Better Together
With these three key points in mind, Claroty and AWS are working in collaboration to offer a purpose-built CPS protection platform to industrial manufacturing companies looking to protect their OT environment. Not only is this solution aimed at protecting your network and assets, but by offering key insights and data specific to your environment, you can make better decisions for optimal business outcomes.
Claroty’s CPS-specific cybersecurity solutions are able to offer three core components that traditional IT-driven solutions cannot:
Full visibility into all CPS in your OT environment through multiple, dynamic discovery methods
Integrate with your existing tech stack and workflows
Extend your IT security controls to your OT environment
Claroty is integrated with AWS Solutions and available on the AWS Marketplace to enable secure industrial transformation. To learn more about the Claroty and AWS collaboration and additional insights CISOs should know about the age of convergence, watch the full webinar on demand.
