In recent years, Zero Trust has become one of the most discussed security concepts across industries, often misunderstood as just another product to implement. But Zero Trust is not a tool or a single solution—it’s a strategic approach to security that focuses on continuous verification, least privilege, and the principle of "never trust, always verify."
Solutions like Identity and Access Management (IAM), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and Privileged Access Management (PAM) often come to mind with Zero Trust. While these tools are certainly core to a Zero Trust architecture, here’s how you think about OT Asset Management supporting Zero Trust as a broader strategy.
Zero Trust: A Strategic Framework
At its core, Zero Trust revolves around a few key principles:
To enhance Zero Trust in OT, organizations must start with a deep understanding of their environment. You can’t protect what you don’t know exists. That’s where OT asset management becomes indispensable.
Zero Trust principles are increasingly critical for operational technology (OT). The vulnerabilities in OT systems, which control physical processes and underpin critical infrastructure, have become a growing target for adversaries. For example, the Pentagon’s roadmap includes transitioning to a Zero Trust cybersecurity framework across IT, OT, and defense critical infrastructure (DCI) by 2027. This highlights that Zero Trust is not just about securing networks and data but also about protecting the physical systems that underpin our safety and national security.
“For OT and weapon systems, we are coming out with initial zero trust guidance. Why? Because the adversary is attacking.”
- Randy Resnick, director of the Pentagon’s Zero Trust Office
Zero Trust is made more efficient and effective when supported by deep understanding of your environment—knowing not just what assets you have but also their context, function, and criticality. OT asset management tools provide the visibility needed to answer key questions, such as:
By providing a detailed inventory of devices, configurations, open ports, and user accounts, OT asset management establishes baselines that let you see deviations, enforce access controls, and continuously monitor activity. This foundational context ensures you can assess user behavior and access in relation to the function and criticality of your assets, strengthening your Zero Trust posture.
When you have deep asset visibility—including down to configuration details and user access—maintaining continuous review and monitoring becomes critical. OT asset management supports this vigilance by enabling you to baseline normal behavior and track deviations.
This principle of continuous verification ensures that trust is earned, evaluated, and re-evaluated based on real-time data.
Once deep visibility is achieved, Zero Trust principles dictate the enforcement of least privilege. OT asset management provides the insights necessary to map and manage:
By correlating asset data with user behavior and permissions, OT asset management ensures access is only granted when needed and quickly flags any attempt to exceed predefined privileges. This tight control minimizes lateral movement and reduces the attack surface.
Attackers often exploit gaps in system configurations, such as open ports, unpatched vulnerabilities, or default passwords. Proactive hardening through OT asset management allows you to address these gaps by identifying and mitigating:
This proactive approach not only aligns with Zero Trust’s objective of minimizing risk but also prevents attackers from finding easy entry points into your environment.
Zero Trust emphasizes the importance of being prepared for potential threats by maintaining comprehensive situational awareness. With centralized, detailed OT asset data, operators can:
This depth of visibility empowers security teams to make informed decisions during an incident, ensuring targeted and effective response efforts while minimizing operational disruption.
The concept of Zero Trust is well-established in IT, but its application in operational technology (OT) environments requires thoughtful adaptation to address unique constraints like safety, availability, and legacy systems. Traditional IT tools often struggle to meet the demands of industrial environments, which rely on proprietary protocols, specialized devices, and strict uptime requirements.
OT-specific asset management plays a vital role in supporting and enhancing Zero Trust principles by providing:
However, OT asset management is just one part of a larger Zero Trust strategy. By delivering deep visibility and context, it complements tools like Identity and Access Management (IAM), Privileged Access Management (PAM), and micro-segmentation to achieve comprehensive security. For instance:
While OT asset management doesn’t directly "respond" to threats, it plays a crucial role in enabling informed decisions during incidents. Security teams can correlate alerts with system data, pinpoint affected devices, and leverage historical insights to understand how and where an attacker gained entry. This information supports targeted response efforts while maintaining operational continuity.
In today’s threat landscape, protecting critical infrastructure demands a holistic approach that includes continuous vigilance, proactive hardening, and the seamless integration of tools and processes. OT asset management is an essential enabler within the Zero Trust framework, enhancing your ability to secure operations and reduce risk.
By incorporating OT-specific solutions alongside other Zero Trust capabilities, organizations can confidently defend their environments and build resilience against evolving threats.
For information on how Industrial Defender improves your OT asset management and security, check out our resource below.
