Network segmentation in the IoT/OT environment

Network segmentation is an old but sure way of minimizing threats and protecting data or environments. This can be achieved both physically and logically.

With the arrival of Industry 4.0, industries are fast seeing the convergence of IT and OT. The advantages of bringing enterprise and industrial segments of networks together are simply too great to ignore. However, organizations need to take the utmost precaution when bridging the two historically isolated segments of the business as they bring together new vulnerabilities that are introduced by direct or indirect (through an intermediate device) internet connectivity.

OT systems were designed for a specific purpose—to last a long time and tolerate extreme weather conditions, in wet or caustic environments, and communicate over a proprietary protocol. These control systems were isolated from corporate networks. Hence, very often, we find OT networks are flat networks in...