Passive asset visibility
Assess network observation points and passive discovery for supported industrial traffic. Validate observed devices with plant engineers and document blind spots, rather than assuming the inventory sees every asset.
Security / Overview
DIGITAL CLOUD / Security
OT Security
Understand security dependencies in industrial and operational systems. Start with asset visibility and segmentation while respecting safety and availability constraints.
Plan your solution01
OT Security
Understanding the solution
Industrial security starts with understanding equipment and communication that production depends on. Digital Cloud can scope an OT visibility and segmentation review around Microsoft Defender for IoT capabilities and your plant's operational constraints. Engineering, maintenance and safety owners participate because a change that is routine in office IT may disrupt a controller or production process.
Operational technology controls or monitors physical processes. Its security work must consider industrial equipment, legacy dependencies and maintenance windows. Asset discovery and segmentation can improve visibility and limit exposure, but intrusive testing requires specific authorization and coordination with operational and safety owners. A security investigation needs an agreed question, defined boundaries and a safe method. Findings should explain evidence and business impact so the organization can prioritize practical corrective action.
Capabilities and scope
Communication boundaries
Map controller, engineering workstation and vendor-access flows. Identify segmentation improvements that preserve required industrial communication and maintenance access.
Operational response
Define how unusual device activity reaches the right plant contact. Agree maintenance windows and response actions that respect process safety and production availability.
A practical example
A manufacturer wants visibility into an older production cell without installing endpoint agents on controllers. A scoped observation pilot can reveal communicating devices and unexpected connections before network changes are considered.
What your project can deliver
- OT asset and communication map
- Segmentation and vendor-access recommendations
- Plant-specific escalation and change procedure
The final deliverables, licensing and responsibilities are agreed for your environment before implementation.
02
Requirements and considerations
Confirm written authorization, systems in scope, safe windows and evidence handling. Industrial environments require special attention to availability and safety; testing must respect those constraints.
OT Security
Project priorities
Industrial assets
Network segmentation
Safety constraints
We begin with a conversation about the task, the people involved and the systems already in place. Together we identify what a useful result would look like and which dependencies need attention first. The agreed proposal sets the delivery boundaries, responsibilities and acceptance criteria.
Your engagement
How Digital Cloud can help
| Project phase | What happens |
|---|---|
| 01Define the design | Translate the requirements into a practical design. Confirm product choices, interfaces, permissions and the responsibilities needed to operate the solution. |
| 02Deliver in stages | Configure or implement the agreed scope, test representative workflows and resolve material issues. Plan user communication and any controlled transition from existing systems. |
| 03Prepare for ongoing operation | Confirm acceptance, document the relevant configuration and prepare the people responsible for daily use. Define maintenance and support arrangements before handover. |
OT Security
Questions before you start
Will monitoring automatically stop a production line?
Passive visibility is distinct from enforcement. Any blocking, isolation or configuration change requires an explicitly designed and authorized process appropriate to the plant.
What determines the cost and schedule?
The starting environment, integrations, user groups and agreed outputs determine the effort. We confirm scope and commercial terms before work begins. Software licenses, infrastructure consumption and ongoing support may be separate items.
What will we receive?
The proposal identifies the deliverables: these may include findings, a prioritized roadmap, a tested configuration, a prototype, documentation or training. We agree what is included and how completion will be assessed.
Can this work with our existing systems?
We review the actual applications, data sources and access requirements before recommending an integration. Dependencies and compatibility limits are recorded so the delivery plan reflects your environment.
What happens after the initial work?
You can use the findings to guide your own team or discuss a follow-on phase. Any maintenance, monitoring or support includes separately agreed service hours, responsibilities and response targets.
Product documentationMicrosoft Learn ↗