Many organizations have some kind of digitally driven industrial and operational processes that are mission critical. These systems now are under increasing pressure from cyberattacks, and the financial, operational, and reputational costs of downtime from them are enormous.

According to research from TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group, 44% of organizations are running specialized OT devices.1 These OT devices would traditionally reside outside of the IT infrastructure and are increasingly being targeted by attackers looking to maximize impact. OT devices must be protected around the clock, or the organization risks potentially catastrophic outcomes. This has driven many organizations to devote growing parts of their cybersecurity budget to OT. One report pegs global spending on OT-related security at more than $1.5 billion in 2022 but growing by 19% on a compound annual basis to reach a whopping $8.4 billion by 2032.2

OT systems had long operated outside the interest of cyber thieves, but that changed when OT systems became increasingly integrated with traditional IT systems. As a result, hackers targeted OT systems because of their data-rich composition and the fact that OT systems represent high-profile targets typically in sensitive industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and shipping/transportation.

Supporting the MITRE ATT&CK framework is essential for MDR tools and services designed to protect OT systems.