Connecting your IT and OT

OT and IT 

Although information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems are separate ensuring that both are properly secured and managed is crucial for your business’s day-to-day operations. Today, more and more, IT and OT are  being placed together on a single converged network. This raises the question of what is the best way to go about combining the two. 

Here is a brief overview of some of the factors that should be taken into consideration when converging your IT and OT systems. 

Segmentation 

A lot of the time IT and OT hardware will have a shared structured cabling network, however, this flow can be segmented to each respective system. 

There are two common methods that are used to separate IT and OT from a physically wired network. First, this can be done by implementing firewalls. The Second solution is to implement pre-established access lists configured to switches. 

Wirelessly connected networks segment IT and OT systems a little differently. By using different Service Set Identifiers or SSIDs if anything bad happens to one system on one side will not impact the other.

Remote Control

For several businesses, typically a third party is in charge of the maintenance and upkeep of IT and OT systems. Thus, third parties can access your business infrastructure through remote control. This remote control is done through a VPN which introduces several vulnerabilities since it may leave your network open. This can lead to various threats to your smart building infrastructure. In order to prevent this,  implement granular access controls that limit what networked components can be accessed since only a few IT and OT systems need to be accessed in the first place. Creating and enforcing access control with a “deny any” rule at the end to restrict all other access across the smart building network.

Cabling in DFW provides managed services and is more than qualified to manage your IT and OT system networks so that your infrastructure isn’t left vulnerable or ineffective. Don’t get tangled in figuring out structured cabling alone, we’re here to help!