OT / ICS Cybersecurity Operational Security Checklist
An Operationally Grounded Security Framework Developed After the January 2026 Energy Sector Cyber Incident
In early 2026, a coordinated cyberattack targeting distributed energy infrastructure in Poland exposed how quickly operational environments can be disrupted when internet-facing OT assets, weak authentication, and insufficient segmentation intersect.
Following the incident, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert urging critical infrastructure operators worldwide to reassess the security of edge connectivity, remote access pathways, and unmanaged industrial devices.
This Operational Security Checklist was developed to help industrial organizations translate cybersecurity intent into practical, engineering-aligned action - without compromising uptime, safety, or production.
Why this matters now
Modern OT environments face a convergence of risk factors:
Expansion of remote connectivity to substations, plants, and distributed assets
Continued reliance on legacy controllers and field devices never designed for exposure
Increased use of cellular, wireless, and edge gateways to monitor remote infrastructure
Growing dependency on third-party vendors and integrators for operational continuity
Threat actors specifically targeting industrial environments for disruption rather than data theft
Unlike IT incidents, an OT cyber event can halt production lines, destabilize energy delivery, or force manual operations across geographically dispersed assets. The financial, safety, and reputational consequences escalate rapidly when control systems are affected.
What This Checklist Delivers
This checklist is not theory. It is an operational blueprint aligned to how industrial systems actually function.
It helps organizations:
Identify exposed edge devices that create unintended entry points
Enforce segmentation between IT and control environments
Harden RTUs, HMIs, engineering workstations, and field equipment
Establish secure remote access without disrupting vendor workflows
Implement monitoring capable of detecting abnormal industrial behavior
Ensure recoverability through validated backup and restoration processes
Introduce governance models specific to OT - not borrowed from IT
Measure program maturity through actionable performance indicators
The focus is on reducing real operational risk, not simply achieving compliance.
Why It Is Important to Download This Checklist
Many organizations know they must improve OT security - but struggle to operationalize it. This guide bridges that gap by providing:
Immediate Risk Visibility: Understand where your environment is most exposed - especially across edge connectivity, identity management, and distributed assets.
Actionable Controls That Fit OT Constraints: Every recommendation considers: Maintenance windows, Safety validation requirements, Legacy system dependencies, Operational uptime expectations
A Framework for Cross-Functional Alignment: Security teams, plant engineers, and leadership gain a shared structure for prioritizing remediation without disrupting production.
A Roadmap for Sustainable Security Maturity: Move from reactive protection to a measurable, repeatable operational security model.
Key Takeaways from the Operational Security Checklist
Secure the Edge First: Internet-facing devices, remote gateways, and communication infrastructure represent the most common access paths into OT networks. Establishing visibility, credential hardening, and exposure reduction dramatically lowers attack probability.
Segment Relentlessly: Flat networks allow small compromises to become operational crises. Logical zoning and controlled conduits ensure incidents remain contained and do not cascade across facilities.
Harden Critical Control Assets: Controllers, HMIs, relays, and engineering workstations require tailored hardening strategies that preserve deterministic performance while eliminating exploitable configurations.
Control Identity and Third-Party Access: Operational environments often inherit shared credentials and persistent vendor access. Enforcing least-privilege access and time-bound connectivity is essential to reducing insider and supply-chain risk.
Monitor What Matters - Process Behavior: OT detection must focus on deviations in industrial communication patterns, device behavior, and command flows rather than relying solely on IT-style alerts.
Design for Recovery, Not Just Prevention: Operational resilience depends on the ability to restore configurations, firmware, and control logic quickly - ensuring facilities can return to safe operation even after a disruptive event.
How Shieldworkz Supports Your OT Cybersecurity Journey
Shieldworkz works alongside industrial organizations to transform cybersecurity from a compliance activity into an operational capability.
Assessment & Risk Mapping: We evaluate your environment through an OT-native lens, identifying risks across architecture, assets, and workflows - not just vulnerabilities.
Architecture & Segmentation Design: Our specialists design zone-based security models that align with industrial communication patterns while maintaining deterministic operations.
Secure Remote Access Enablement: We help organizations modernize vendor and remote connectivity without introducing operational risk.
Detection & Monitoring Integration: Shieldworkz deploys OT-aware monitoring strategies that provide visibility into abnormal system behavior without disrupting control processes.
Resilience & Recovery Engineering: We validate backup integrity, rebuild procedures, and incident response workflows to ensure recovery is achievable under real-world conditions.
Program Governance & KPI Development: We help leadership implement measurable security programs tied to operational outcomes, enabling continuous improvement and executive visibility.
Next step
Download the OT / ICS Cybersecurity Operational Security Checklist. Complete the form to access the checklist and begin advancing your OT security posture with confidence.
Download your copy today!
Get our free OT / ICS Cybersecurity Operational Security Checklist and make sure you’re covering every critical control in your industrial network
An Operationally Grounded Security Framework Developed After the January 2026 Energy Sector Cyber Incident
In early 2026, a coordinated cyberattack targeting distributed energy infrastructure in Poland exposed how quickly operational environments can be disrupted when internet-facing OT assets, weak authentication, and insufficient segmentation intersect.
Following the incident, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert urging critical infrastructure operators worldwide to reassess the security of edge connectivity, remote access pathways, and unmanaged industrial devices.
This Operational Security Checklist was developed to help industrial organizations translate cybersecurity intent into practical, engineering-aligned action - without compromising uptime, safety, or production.
Why this matters now
Modern OT environments face a convergence of risk factors:
Expansion of remote connectivity to substations, plants, and distributed assets
Continued reliance on legacy controllers and field devices never designed for exposure
Increased use of cellular, wireless, and edge gateways to monitor remote infrastructure
Growing dependency on third-party vendors and integrators for operational continuity
Threat actors specifically targeting industrial environments for disruption rather than data theft
Unlike IT incidents, an OT cyber event can halt production lines, destabilize energy delivery, or force manual operations across geographically dispersed assets. The financial, safety, and reputational consequences escalate rapidly when control systems are affected.
What This Checklist Delivers
This checklist is not theory. It is an operational blueprint aligned to how industrial systems actually function.
It helps organizations:
Identify exposed edge devices that create unintended entry points
Enforce segmentation between IT and control environments
Harden RTUs, HMIs, engineering workstations, and field equipment
Establish secure remote access without disrupting vendor workflows
Implement monitoring capable of detecting abnormal industrial behavior
Ensure recoverability through validated backup and restoration processes
Introduce governance models specific to OT - not borrowed from IT
Measure program maturity through actionable performance indicators
The focus is on reducing real operational risk, not simply achieving compliance.
Why It Is Important to Download This Checklist
Many organizations know they must improve OT security - but struggle to operationalize it. This guide bridges that gap by providing:
Immediate Risk Visibility: Understand where your environment is most exposed - especially across edge connectivity, identity management, and distributed assets.
Actionable Controls That Fit OT Constraints: Every recommendation considers: Maintenance windows, Safety validation requirements, Legacy system dependencies, Operational uptime expectations
A Framework for Cross-Functional Alignment: Security teams, plant engineers, and leadership gain a shared structure for prioritizing remediation without disrupting production.
A Roadmap for Sustainable Security Maturity: Move from reactive protection to a measurable, repeatable operational security model.
Key Takeaways from the Operational Security Checklist
Secure the Edge First: Internet-facing devices, remote gateways, and communication infrastructure represent the most common access paths into OT networks. Establishing visibility, credential hardening, and exposure reduction dramatically lowers attack probability.
Segment Relentlessly: Flat networks allow small compromises to become operational crises. Logical zoning and controlled conduits ensure incidents remain contained and do not cascade across facilities.
Harden Critical Control Assets: Controllers, HMIs, relays, and engineering workstations require tailored hardening strategies that preserve deterministic performance while eliminating exploitable configurations.
Control Identity and Third-Party Access: Operational environments often inherit shared credentials and persistent vendor access. Enforcing least-privilege access and time-bound connectivity is essential to reducing insider and supply-chain risk.
Monitor What Matters - Process Behavior: OT detection must focus on deviations in industrial communication patterns, device behavior, and command flows rather than relying solely on IT-style alerts.
Design for Recovery, Not Just Prevention: Operational resilience depends on the ability to restore configurations, firmware, and control logic quickly - ensuring facilities can return to safe operation even after a disruptive event.
How Shieldworkz Supports Your OT Cybersecurity Journey
Shieldworkz works alongside industrial organizations to transform cybersecurity from a compliance activity into an operational capability.
Assessment & Risk Mapping: We evaluate your environment through an OT-native lens, identifying risks across architecture, assets, and workflows - not just vulnerabilities.
Architecture & Segmentation Design: Our specialists design zone-based security models that align with industrial communication patterns while maintaining deterministic operations.
Secure Remote Access Enablement: We help organizations modernize vendor and remote connectivity without introducing operational risk.
Detection & Monitoring Integration: Shieldworkz deploys OT-aware monitoring strategies that provide visibility into abnormal system behavior without disrupting control processes.
Resilience & Recovery Engineering: We validate backup integrity, rebuild procedures, and incident response workflows to ensure recovery is achievable under real-world conditions.
Program Governance & KPI Development: We help leadership implement measurable security programs tied to operational outcomes, enabling continuous improvement and executive visibility.
Next step
Download the OT / ICS Cybersecurity Operational Security Checklist. Complete the form to access the checklist and begin advancing your OT security posture with confidence.
Download your copy today!
Get our free OT / ICS Cybersecurity Operational Security Checklist and make sure you’re covering every critical control in your industrial network
An Operationally Grounded Security Framework Developed After the January 2026 Energy Sector Cyber Incident
In early 2026, a coordinated cyberattack targeting distributed energy infrastructure in Poland exposed how quickly operational environments can be disrupted when internet-facing OT assets, weak authentication, and insufficient segmentation intersect.
Following the incident, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert urging critical infrastructure operators worldwide to reassess the security of edge connectivity, remote access pathways, and unmanaged industrial devices.
This Operational Security Checklist was developed to help industrial organizations translate cybersecurity intent into practical, engineering-aligned action - without compromising uptime, safety, or production.
Why this matters now
Modern OT environments face a convergence of risk factors:
Expansion of remote connectivity to substations, plants, and distributed assets
Continued reliance on legacy controllers and field devices never designed for exposure
Increased use of cellular, wireless, and edge gateways to monitor remote infrastructure
Growing dependency on third-party vendors and integrators for operational continuity
Threat actors specifically targeting industrial environments for disruption rather than data theft
Unlike IT incidents, an OT cyber event can halt production lines, destabilize energy delivery, or force manual operations across geographically dispersed assets. The financial, safety, and reputational consequences escalate rapidly when control systems are affected.
What This Checklist Delivers
This checklist is not theory. It is an operational blueprint aligned to how industrial systems actually function.
It helps organizations:
Identify exposed edge devices that create unintended entry points
Enforce segmentation between IT and control environments
Harden RTUs, HMIs, engineering workstations, and field equipment
Establish secure remote access without disrupting vendor workflows
Implement monitoring capable of detecting abnormal industrial behavior
Ensure recoverability through validated backup and restoration processes
Introduce governance models specific to OT - not borrowed from IT
Measure program maturity through actionable performance indicators
The focus is on reducing real operational risk, not simply achieving compliance.
Why It Is Important to Download This Checklist
Many organizations know they must improve OT security - but struggle to operationalize it. This guide bridges that gap by providing:
Immediate Risk Visibility: Understand where your environment is most exposed - especially across edge connectivity, identity management, and distributed assets.
Actionable Controls That Fit OT Constraints: Every recommendation considers: Maintenance windows, Safety validation requirements, Legacy system dependencies, Operational uptime expectations
A Framework for Cross-Functional Alignment: Security teams, plant engineers, and leadership gain a shared structure for prioritizing remediation without disrupting production.
A Roadmap for Sustainable Security Maturity: Move from reactive protection to a measurable, repeatable operational security model.
Key Takeaways from the Operational Security Checklist
Secure the Edge First: Internet-facing devices, remote gateways, and communication infrastructure represent the most common access paths into OT networks. Establishing visibility, credential hardening, and exposure reduction dramatically lowers attack probability.
Segment Relentlessly: Flat networks allow small compromises to become operational crises. Logical zoning and controlled conduits ensure incidents remain contained and do not cascade across facilities.
Harden Critical Control Assets: Controllers, HMIs, relays, and engineering workstations require tailored hardening strategies that preserve deterministic performance while eliminating exploitable configurations.
Control Identity and Third-Party Access: Operational environments often inherit shared credentials and persistent vendor access. Enforcing least-privilege access and time-bound connectivity is essential to reducing insider and supply-chain risk.
Monitor What Matters - Process Behavior: OT detection must focus on deviations in industrial communication patterns, device behavior, and command flows rather than relying solely on IT-style alerts.
Design for Recovery, Not Just Prevention: Operational resilience depends on the ability to restore configurations, firmware, and control logic quickly - ensuring facilities can return to safe operation even after a disruptive event.
How Shieldworkz Supports Your OT Cybersecurity Journey
Shieldworkz works alongside industrial organizations to transform cybersecurity from a compliance activity into an operational capability.
Assessment & Risk Mapping: We evaluate your environment through an OT-native lens, identifying risks across architecture, assets, and workflows - not just vulnerabilities.
Architecture & Segmentation Design: Our specialists design zone-based security models that align with industrial communication patterns while maintaining deterministic operations.
Secure Remote Access Enablement: We help organizations modernize vendor and remote connectivity without introducing operational risk.
Detection & Monitoring Integration: Shieldworkz deploys OT-aware monitoring strategies that provide visibility into abnormal system behavior without disrupting control processes.
Resilience & Recovery Engineering: We validate backup integrity, rebuild procedures, and incident response workflows to ensure recovery is achievable under real-world conditions.
Program Governance & KPI Development: We help leadership implement measurable security programs tied to operational outcomes, enabling continuous improvement and executive visibility.
Next step
Download the OT / ICS Cybersecurity Operational Security Checklist. Complete the form to access the checklist and begin advancing your OT security posture with confidence.
Download your copy today!
Get our free OT / ICS Cybersecurity Operational Security Checklist and make sure you’re covering every critical control in your industrial network
