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What is the primary role of network segmentation and industrial firewalls in an Operational Technology (OT) defense-in-depth strategy?

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The primary role of network segmentation and industrial firewalls in an Operational Technology defense-in-depth strategy is to contain threats and prevent the lateral movement of unauthorized traffic. Network segmentation is the process of dividing a large industrial network into smaller, isolated zones or logical sub-networks. By grouping assets based on their function or risk profile, you limit the communication paths available to an attacker. If a security breach occurs in one segment, such as a compromised workstation in a business office, segmentation prevents that threat from spreading to critical control systems like programmable logic controllers. Industrial firewalls serve as the security enforcement points at the boundaries of these segments. Unlike standard enterprise firewalls, industrial firewalls are designed to inspect specific industrial communication protocols used by machinery. They act as checkpoints that analyze incoming and outgoing data packets to ensure only authorized commands and traffic are permitted between zones. Together, these tools enforce the principle of least privilege, which dictates that devices and users should only have the minimum level of access necessary to perform their required tasks. By restricting traffic flows, you reduce the overall attack surface, meaning there are fewer entry points and pathways for a cyber threat to disrupt essential industrial operations.

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What is the primary role of network segmentation and industrial firewalls in an Operational Technology (OT) defense-in-depth strategy?

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