India's energy sector, comprising oil and gas, electricity, coal, and renewables, is in many ways the backbone of the nation’s economy and critical infrastructure. As cyber threats and risks evolve and grow globally, Indian energy companies are under increasing pressure to secure their Operational Technology (OT) environments. As per the Shieldworkz OT Security Threat Landscape Report, Indian power companies are being targeted by hacker groups from China, North Korea, Pakistan and Iran.  

India’s National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) plays a central role in safeguarding these sectors of national importance, and its audits are fast becoming a focal point for CISOs and OT security leads.

Yet many organizations are today approaching NCIIPC audits reactively, scrambling to patch gaps often days before an assessment. This not only increases the risk of non-compliance but also weakens security posture and robustness of incident responsiveness over time. A more informed and recommended approach is to deploy proactive OT security measures that embed audit readiness into daily operations, governance and supply chains.

So how Indian energy companies can do just that? Let’s explore the answers.

Understanding the NCIIPC mandate of audit

The NCIIPC, operating under the aegis of the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO), has the mandate to protect Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) in India, as defined under Section 70 of the IT Act, 2000.

Some of the key requirements include:

· Identification and classification of CII assets across the infrastructure

· Baseline security posture assessments

· Incident detection and response plans

· Access control and user accountability

· Physical and environmental security

· Regular vulnerability assessment and penetration testing (VAPT)

· Incident reporting and compliance submissions

Identify and classify critical OT assets

Most organizations face a significant challenge here. Without accurate visibility into OT assets and data flows, organizations won’t even know what to protect.

Recommended tactics

· Conduct a detailed Critical Asset Identification (CAI) exercise: Define what constitutes CII based on the potential impact of disruption and business relevance (national security, employee and public safety, economic loss).

· Use passive network discovery tools like Shieldworkz to map out connected devices.

· Deploy a robust architecture using standards such as the Purdue Model.

Specific security recommendation: Involve the operations teams, OEMs and plant engineers to validate asset criticality. Don’t just rely on network scans.

Baseline and harden your OT environment

Once assets are mapped, harden them using specific measures to reduce attack surface.

Recommended measures

· Baseline configurations: Capture all known-good configuration states for all PLCs, SCADA, RTUs, etc.

· Patch management: Where patching isn’t feasible, use compensating controls (e.g., isolation, allowlists).

· Segmentation: Enforce strict network segmentation between IT and OT, and across OT zones (e.g., engineering vs operations).

Use firewalls with deep packet inspection (DPI) for ensuring perimeter security across industrial protocols (Modbus, DNP3, IEC 60870-5-104).

Use a Network Detection and Response platform like Shieldworkz to secure everything inside the perimeter.

Strengthen identity and access controls in OT

OT systems were never designed for modern identity-based access models

Practical steps:

· Enforce role-based access control (RBAC) with least privilege across OT applications and devices.

· Disable default credentials and unused accounts on field devices and HMI systems.

· Use jump servers with MFA for all remote OT access.

· Maintain access logs centrally and review them regularly for anomalies.

Specific recommendation: Many energy companies use remote access during maintenance. Enforce time-bound access controls and detailed activity logging.

Implement a continuous vulnerability management program

Annual audits and VAPT are not enough. NCIIPC expects regular monitoring, assessments and remediation.

Tactical measures

· Deploy OT-aware vulnerability scanners that won’t disrupt plant operations.

· Schedule scans during planned downtimes to avoid impact.

· Maintain a centralized vulnerability tracking and remediation dashboard.

· Map vulnerabilities to known exploits (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK for ICS) and prioritize based on criticality.

Reporting this data in audit logs or dashboard format significantly improves your audit standing.

Build an OT Incident Response plan (IRP)

Many organizations still lack OT-specific incident response playbooks, which is a red flag for auditors.

What to include:

· Defined roles and escalation paths during an OT security incident.

· A "kill switch" mechanism to isolate compromised assets safely.

· Drills that simulate ransomware or remote compromise of field devices.

· Coordination plans with CERT-In and NCIIPC, including incident notification protocols.

· Tools like attack simulators can be used to test the resilience of your IRP.

· Set Up OT-Specific Monitoring and Detection Capabilities

· Auditors look for active monitoring, not just passive policies.

On-the-ground steps:

· Deploy an OT-aware SIEM or security monitoring platform to detect anomalous behavior in protocols.

· Integrate threat intelligence feeds relevant to the energy sector (e.g., APT33, Dragonfly, Volt Typhoon).

· Use behavioral anomaly detection, not just signature-based rules.

· Set up alerts for unusual protocol usage, unauthorized firmware changes, or lateral movement.

Consider establishing an OT SOC or extend your existing IT SOC with OT capabilities and playbooks.

Maintain proper documentation and audit trails

NCIIPC audits rely heavily on documentation as evidence of compliance.

Specific recommendation: keep a document trail on the security controls deployed

Documentation checklist

· Network diagrams with updated asset inventory

· OT security policy and governance model

· Patch and vulnerability management logs

· Access control and review reports

· IRP and results from incident simulation exercises

· Reports from third-party audits or red team assessments

Keep these documents version-controlled and regularly reviewed by compliance and OT leadership.

Involve the right stakeholders

Successful audit readiness requires cross-functional collaboration.

Governance model

· Appoint an OT Cybersecurity owner at the leadership level.

· Create a joint task force including IT, OT, compliance, and physical security teams.

· Conduct quarterly OT cyber risk committee reviews.

· OT engineers need to be engaged from Day 1—make them champions, not roadblocks.

· Run mock NCIIPC audits annually

· Don't wait for the official audit to identify gaps.

Steps

· Hire an independent auditor like Shieldworkz familiar with NCIIPC guidelines and IEC 62443.

· Simulate both technical and procedural assessments.

· Identify and document gaps using an audit checklist aligned with NCIIPC’s advisories and best practices.

· Assign owners and timelines for remediation.

Create a dashboard showing audit readiness score by site, devices, systems and networks—use it to drive executive awareness and funding.

Conclusion

Preparing for NCIIPC audits shouldn’t be a one-time activity. It should be the natural outcome of a mature, risk-based OT security strategy.

Indian energy companies that embrace visibility, segmentation, Network Detection and Response, identity control, threat detection, IEC-62443-based risk assessment and governance are not only more likely to pass NCIIPC audits—they’re also better equipped to withstand nation-state threats, insider risks, and ransomware targeting critical systems.

Instead of rushing in different directions during audits, build repeatable, evidence-driven processes that make compliance part of your everyday operations. That’s not just good cybersecurity—it’s good business.

Quick summary checklist for NCIIPC audit readiness:

Interested in preparing for an NCIIPC audit? Speak to Shieldworkz for a free consultation.