What is OT and why is OT security different from IT security?

Operational Technology (OT) refers to hardware and software that monitor or control physical processes, assets, or infrastructure, such as industrial control systems (ICS), SCADA, PLCs and DCS.

OT security is different from traditional information technology security because the primary concerns in OT are safety, reliability and availability rather than purely confidentiality. For MSPs serving industrial clients, recognising that difference is key: you are protecting physical processes, production lines, utilities or infrastructure rather than only data-systems.

Smart-building systems like HVAC, lighting, and access control fall into this same category – operational technology that keeps environments running safely and efficiently.

The same applies to smart buildings, where integrated systems control physical environments. A compromised BMS or access controller can disrupt operations or expose sensitive data just as easily as an IT breach.

What are the top Operational Technology (OT) security threats that MSPs should understand?

1. Why is ransomware and malware targeting OT systems?

Threat actors increasingly target OT environments because a production shutdown, safety incident or reputational damage can force payment or dramatic impact. For example, ransomware gangs can penetrate IT networks and then move laterally into OT systems causing major disruption.

Traditional endpoint tools rarely reach these systems, MSPs need unified detection and response that spans both IT and OT environments. You must assume your industrial-client’s OT environment is a target, not just their office network.

2. Why are legacy OT systems and insecure-by-design devices such a risk?

Many OT devices were built years ago with minimal built-in security and operate on long lifecycles. A study found every OT product family they inspected had at least one trivial vulnerability.

Due to long lifespans and production-centric design, patching or replacing these systems can be hard. MSPs must plan around limited ability to update or rebuild OT hardware.

3. How does IT/OT convergence expand the attack surface?

When OT networks are connected with IT systems (via corporate networks, cloud services or remote access) it opens pathways for malware, phishing or remote exploits to reach OT systems. MSPs need to manage that convergence: segmentation, least-privilege access and network isolation become essential.

Smart-building networks face the same risk. When IoT sensors, cameras, and automation controllers share connectivity with corporate systems, attackers gain multiple pivot points unless strict segmentation and monitoring are in place.

Using enhanced.io’s Open XDR capabilities, MSPs can detect threats moving between IT, OT, and smart-building layers in real time, closing one of the biggest blind spots in operational security.

4. What role do supply-chain and third-party risks play in OT?

Many OT environments depend on vendor-supplied hardware or software updates, or third-party maintenance access. Attackers exploit weaker links via supply-chain compromises to gain entry into OT systems.

An MSP must account for external vendor access, ensure vendor credentials are managed and monitor supply-chain exposure in their industrial client base.

5. Why is visibility, monitoring and incident response particularly challenging in OT?

Unlike IT, OT often lacks continuous monitoring of device firmware, network traffic and threat detection. Many OT systems cannot tolerate downtime for security updates or monitoring.

For MSPs, providing proactive visibility and incident readiness in OT environments is a strong differentiator.

How can MSPs best protect industrial clients’ OT environments using a specialised niche offering?

Here are practical strategies that MSPs should implement, especially when partnering with enhanced.io’s enterprise-grade tools.

Step-by-Step: Build an OT-specialised service model

Asset-discovery & segmentation first. Start with a thorough inventory of OT assets (including industrial controls and smart-building systems such as HVAC, lighting and security) to form the foundation for segmentation and micro-zoning.

Segment IT and OT networks. Create DMZs and zone boundaries; restrict lateral movement. MSPs should offer segmentation as part of the service.

Continuous monitoring & anomaly detection. Employ tools that monitor OT traffic, detect deviations and raise alerts. With enhanced.io’s enterprise-grade cybersecurity platform, MSPs can deliver this at scale.

Least-privilege access & vendor control. Implement RBAC, MFA and control remote vendor access. MSPs typically bundle this control and audit logging.

Patch management & compensating controls. Because many OT devices cannot be patched regularly, MSPs must apply alternative controls and close monitoring. Where patching is impossible, enhanced.io’s continuous monitoring and anomaly detection help MSPs maintain visibility and assurance even in static OT or smart-building environments.

Incident response, drills and recovery. Develop OT-specific response plans and run regular tabletop exercises. MSPs with this offering build trust with industrial clients.

Compliance and reporting expertise. Industrial clients often face regulatory regimes (e.g. ISA/IEC 62443) and expect MSPs to guide them. MSPs that show this niche expertise win contracts.

Using enhanced.io as a partner-friendly platform for MSPs

By aligning your OT service offering with enhanced.io’s tools, you can deliver enterprise-grade cybersecurity without building everything in house. For example:

• Use enhanced.io’s visibility and asset-inventory modules to map OT devices.

• Leverage their network-segmentation orchestration to apply micro-zoning easily.

• Employ their monitoring and response capabilities tailored for OT contexts (e.g. anomaly detection in SCADA type traffic).

• Provide compliance dashboards to your industrial client showing OT risk-reduction metrics.

This makes it possible for MSPs to offer OT-grade and smart-building visibility and compliance at MSP-scale, a key differentiator in converged cybersecurity.

How MSPs can differentiate in this growing niche

• Offer a dedicated OT-security bundle: asset-inventory, segmentation, monitoring, incident readiness.

• Publish case studies or white-papers showing how you helped industrial clients avoid downtime or respond to threats.

• Use language like “we protect your production line, not only your file server” to show you understand OT.

• Demonstrate use of enhanced.io’s enterprise tools to deliver scale and reliability for industrial clients.

• Provide risk reporting that industrial clients can show to their boards or regulators, thus you become a partner, not just a vendor.

Combine this positioning with enhanced.io’s enterprise toolset and you elevate from service provider to strategic risk partner, a shift that commands trust and higher margins. This presents your managed service as not just “IT security” but “industrial/OT cybersecurity”, a high-value niche.

Why this niche matters now for MSPs – and how to win business

Industrial, manufacturing, utilities and critical-infrastructure organisations are under increasing pressure to secure OT systems because disruption can cause safety incidents, significant revenue loss and regulatory penalties. The same opportunity applies to smart-building operators, where connected infrastructure now poses the same risks as traditional industrial control systems. They’re ideal clients for MSPs offering converged IT/OT visibility and proactive monitoring.

MSPs that develop OT-security specialisation become trusted advisors rather than generic IT-support providers. This supports higher margins, recurring revenue and long-term client relationships.

By using enhanced.io’s enterprise tools you provide scalable, repeatable OT-security services across multiple industrial clients, rather than just bespoke one-offs. Each deployment compounds learning and automation, allowing your team to replicate success across industries while maintaining compliance and uptime.

As OT/IT convergence increases, industrial clients will demand MSPs who ‘get’ both worlds, so when you say you support OT security you signal differentiation and expertise.

Key takeaways

OT environments present high-stakes cyber-risk: legacy systems, high uptime demand, real-world physical consequences and a growing threat from sophisticated attackers.

For MSPs, building a specialist OT-security offering is smart business: you can deliver higher value, differentiate in the market and address a growing niche.

By using a partner-friendly enterprise toolset like enhanced.io you can scale that offering, provide strong visibility, segmentation, monitoring, incident response and compliance reporting for industrial clients.

If you adopt the threat-awareness, best practices and service model described here you position your MSP firm for growth in the industrial/OT cybersecurity space.