Industrial Cybersecurity Secure Connectivity Solutions

This ARC market research provides granular information about the industrial/OT secure connectivity solutions market.  This includes market size and growth forecasts across different global regions, industrial sectors, and product categories.  The report also identifies and positions key suppliers across the various product categories.  

Industrial Systems Connectivity Demands New Security Solutions

Industrial/OT systems are increasingly being connected with external entities to enable remote support and exchange information.  This trend will accelerate as companies continue to digitalize their operations. While connectivity benefits are large, these developments significantly increase cyber risks. Safety and business continuity demand investments in new cybersecurity solutions. 

The solutions in this market report address the security risks associated with the three major forms of connectivity impacting critical industrial/OT systems. This includes granting remote users access to OT systems, enabling local workers to use personal devices within OT system perimeters, and allowing OT systems to exchange information with external sites/cloud services. 

The products in this report represent a distinct segment of the IT security product market, distinguished by features that address the unique characteristics and constraints of critical plant and infrastructure control systems. .     

Industrial Secure Connectivity Market Strategic Issues 

The safety, environmental, and financial risks of an OT cyber compromise are simply too large for industrial companies to ignore. Operational changes are also creating new security challenges that must be addressed.  All of these factors drive the need for new security solutions that can protect OT systems against connectivity threats.  

Following are some other factors that will drive growth in the industrial/OT secure connectivity solutions market.       

Digital Transformation and Connected Worker Initiatives

Digital transformation and connected worker initiatives will continue to create new cyber risks with cloud connections, expanded use of new sensors, and increases in mobile devices. Smart companies will ensure that each of these connectivity expansions is supported with associated investments in secure connectivity solutions. This will drive strong investments in all parts of the OT secure connectivity solutions market. 

OT Secure Remote Access Has Unique Requirements

While there are similarities between IT and OT secure remote access security, there are also important differences. IT and OT security issues and solution requirements diverge at system perimeters. Most industrial companies will require solutions that only connect from within OT systems, ushered access. And use of special technologies, like jump servers, to preserve isolation of critical legacy assets. 

This situation presents good opportunities for solution providers who understand and can address the issues of major concern to OT security teams and managers of operating facilities.   

Use of Mobile Devices in OT Is Becoming Mandatory

Digital transformation efforts are significantly increasing the need for use of mobile devices within industrial operations. Users of these devices expect the same kind of experience as they have with mobile devices in their personal lives. This includes access to information regardless of where its located and the ability to collaborate with external people whenever it can help them address their needs. Supporting these requirements will require use of Zero Trust principles within OT system networks.   

This will create good opportunities for networking companies (IT and OT) to offer products that can seamlessly upgrade existing networks with zero trust security capabilities.

Demand for Cloud and Edge Solutions Will Continue to Grow

Demands for OT system data have changed dramatically, in volume and in the kinds of data being requested. This will continue to grow as companies implement more digital transformation projects.  This will create significant opportunities for companies that can provide secure connectivity. This will also ensure strong demand for high-security solutions, like data diodes, that can maintain strong isolation of OT systems from internet based attacks.

This situation creates opportunities for established industrial networking suppliers, niche suppliers of data diode products, and suppliers of general IoT Gateway products.

Industrial Cybersecurity Spans Many Product and Service Markets

The Industrial/OT Cybersecurity market spans several different technology and service categories.  Following are all the reports in ARC’s coverage of the industrial/OT cybersecurity market:

• Industrial/OT Network Security Solutions
• Industrial/OT Endpoint Protection Solutions
• Industrial/OT Cybersecurity Management Solutions
• Industrial/OT Secure Connectivity Solutions
• Industrial/OT Cybersecurity Services