Secure OT Connectivity: A CISO’s Guide to Reducing Cyber Risk Without Disrupting Operations

Operational Technology connectivity is now a board-level risk issue.

OT environments were historically engineered for safety and uptime, not cyber threat exposure. Today, increased digitization, remote access, and third-party integration have transformed OT connectivity into one of the most consequential cyber risk surfaces in the enterprise.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), alongside Five Eyes and international partners, published Secure Connectivity Principles for Operational Technology to help executives reconcile two competing imperatives: operational modernization and systemic risk reduction  .

This guidance is notable because it is principles-based, not product-centric. It recognizes that CISOs must operate within constraints such as legacy assets, regulatory mandates, and safety-critical environments.

Why CISOs Should Care

Poorly governed OT connectivity can result in:

• Physical harm and environmental impact

• Extended outages of essential services

• Regulatory penalties and public trust loss

• National-level security implications

Connectivity failures do not remain technical incidents—they become enterprise crises.

The Eight Principles at a Glance

1. Balance risks and opportunities

2. Limit exposure

3. Centralize and standardize connections

4. Use secure, standardized protocols

5. Harden the OT boundary

6. Limit the impact of compromise

7. Log and monitor all connectivity

8. Establish isolation plans

These principles define what “good” looks like for OT connectivity governance.

Executive Takeaway

OT security maturity is not measured by how many controls are deployed—but by whether:

• Connectivity decisions are risk-owned

• Exposure is minimized by design

• Failures are anticipated and contained

The following posts break down each principle through a CISO risk-management lens.