What Is Driving the Urgency for OT Security in 2025?

Operational Technology (OT) systems are no longer insulated from cyber threats. From manufacturing and utilities to transportation and energy sectors, cyberattacks are targeting the foundational infrastructure that keeps economies running. In 2025, securing OT environments is a strategic imperative—not just an IT concern. But what is behind this urgency?

How Are OT Cybersecurity Threats Evolving in 2025?

The nature and scale of OT threats have changed dramatically. According to the Dragos 2025 Year in Review, industrial control systems (ICS) are facing an unprecedented volume of cyber incidents:

• 46% of threats were externally driven, up from 38% the previous year.
• Over 900 new vulnerabilities were disclosed across OT systems, a 40% increase from 2023.
• Sectors such as manufacturing, electric, and water utilities remain the most targeted.
  
  

Key Risks Identified:

• Ransomware in ICS networks is rising as threat actors monetize access to OT environments.
• Unpatched legacy systems still dominate industrial networks.
• Flat network architectures increase the lateral movement of attackers from IT to OT.

Summary:

• OT threats are more aggressive, financially motivated, and exploit underprotected legacy systems.
• Vulnerability disclosures are growing in volume and complexity.
• External actors are increasingly bypassing IT perimeters to strike OT systems directly.

Is OT Security Maturity Keeping Pace?

Not at all. The SANS 2025 OT Cybersecurity Maturity Report reveals a concerning reality—only 21% of organizations have reached a mature OT security posture. This means that the vast majority lack continuous monitoring, integration with IT policies, or incident response mechanisms for OT environments.

Maturity Level Breakdown:

Summary:

• 79% of organizations are ill-prepared for targeted OT attacks.
• Security maturity remains reactive and underfunded.
• Most organizations still treat OT security as a subset of IT rather than a standalone priority.

Why Is the C-Suite Stepping In?

One of the biggest shifts in 2025 is that executive leaders now directly oversee OT cybersecurity. According to Fortinet’s recent report, 76% of C-suite executives claim responsibility for OT cybersecurity planning and execution. This is a sharp rise from 55% just two years ago.

Strategic Shifts:

• Budgets for OT security are being approved at board level, with a 68% increase in allocations across critical industries.
• Cross-functional collaboration between IT and OT teams is being enforced through executive mandates.
• Risk accountability is shifting from operational managers to CISOs and COOs.

Summary:

• OT cybersecurity has become a boardroom priority.
• C-suite leaders are driving funding, accountability, and urgency in OT protection.
• The executive focus reflects the critical nature of OT systems to core business continuity.

Are Existing Tools and Teams Enough?

Despite heightened awareness, most organizations still rely on traditional IT cybersecurity tools that are not effective in OT environments. The Dragos report emphasizes that:

• 83% of organizations do not have a dedicated OT cybersecurity team
• Over 60% still use IT-centric monitoring tools that miss industrial protocol anomalies.

Common Gaps:

• Lack of specialized personnel with ICS/SCADA experience
• No real-time asset visibility for OT devices and communication patterns
• Inadequate incident response planning for operational disruptions

Summary:

• General IT teams lack the expertise to manage OT-specific risks.
• Visibility and detection in OT networks are severely limited.
• Dedicated OT cybersecurity staffing and tooling are urgently needed.

What Must Organizations Do Differently?

The convergence of IT and OT has introduced both efficiency and risk. To stay resilient in 2025 and beyond, organizations must shift from passive defense to active resilience strategies tailored for OT.

Next Steps: What Should Enterprises Prioritize?

To build effective OT cybersecurity in 2025, enterprises must:

1. Develop a dedicated OT cybersecurity team
• Hire or train experts with ICS protocol and industrial systems knowledge.
2. Conduct an OT-specific risk assessment
• Identify all critical assets, vulnerabilities, and their potential impact on operations.
3. Implement real-time network monitoring
• Use behavioral analytics designed for OT networks to detect anomalies.
4. Separate OT and IT infrastructure
• Deploy segmentation strategies like DMZs and firewall zoning.
5. Engage C-suite in continuous governance
• Make OT security a permanent part of executive risk and operations planning.

Final Thoughts

The OT security landscape in 2025 is shaped by rising threats, lagging maturity, and an urgent need for specialized defense. While executive awareness has improved, operational readiness still falls short. For organizations to remain resilient, they must invest in tailored security strategies, empower OT-focused teams, and move from passive protection to active risk management.