FPGA data diodes for hardware-based OT cybersecurity
FPGA stands for Field-Programmable Gate Array. The easiest way to understand it is this comparison: A CPU runs instructions. An FPGA becomes a circuit.
Allowlist or Blocklist: How to Choose the Right Security Approach?
A blocklist allows by default, and blocks known threats. The advantage is flexibility.
An allowlist approach works in the opposite way. Everything is denied by default, and only explicitly approved users, devices, applications, or communications are permitted.
Reducing PLC Cyber Risks by Redefining Connectivity
As geopolitical tensions increasingly extend into cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure, recent attacks against internet-exposed PLCs in U.S. critical infrastructure environments have again highlighted a problem the OT industry has discussed for years, but still struggles to eliminate in practice: control systems that remain reachable from outside the operational network.
What the Iberian Blackout Teaches About OT Security
While cybersecurity wasn’t the root cause of this incident, its awareness and measures can greatly affect outcomes when system controls are stressed or disrupted. For operators of critical assets, the relevance lies in the system-level lessons around visibility, coordination, and control integrity.
Evolving FCC Direction Signals Stronger Cybersecurity Expectations
In March 2026, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) expanded its “Covered List.” Although the regulation specifically targets consumer-grade routers, its implications extend into industrial and critical infrastructure environments.
Securing Traction SCADA: A Unidirectional Architecture
Modern railway systems are increasingly data-driven. In a recent deployment for one of the world’s major railway networks in South Asia, a unidirectional security architecture was implemented to protect critical traction power infrastructure.
Physical Layer Isolation in OT: When Security Becomes Architecture
Operational technology (OT) environments were historically designed around reliability and determinism, not cybersecurity. Systems such as SCADA, energy management, and industrial control networks assumed limited connectivity and trusted operators. As these systems increasingly connect to enterprise networks, cloud platforms, and remote monitoring tools, the security model must evolve without compromising operational stability.
U.S. Cybersecurity Bills Signal Stronger Focus on Utility Infrastructure Protection
Five cybersecurity bills aimed at strengthening protections for national energy infrastructure have advanced, reflecting bipartisan concern over growing threats to grid and operational systems and reinforcing the need for utilities to address long-standing exposure and architectural risks in operational technology (OT) systems.
Internet-exposed ICS remain a prime cyber target
In October 2025, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security issued an Alert warning CISO and decision makers of increasing cyber-attacks exploiting internet-accessible industrial control systems (ICS). Reported incidents included tampering with water pressure values, triggering false alarms in an oil & gas facility, and manipulating temperature and humidity levels in a grain drying silo. These individual companies may not be direct targets of adversaries but have become victims of opportunity to gain media attention and undermine public trust.
Why SBOMs Matter for Industrial and Critical Infrastructure Security
Networking devices, like food, can introduce risks from the big wide world into critical infrastructure systems. Modern industrial systems are a blend of hardware, firmware, and software. As a result, evaluating devices requires more than reviewing a physical Bill of Materials (BOM). You also need the Software BOM (SBOM), which is a formal record containing the details, versions, and supply chain relationships of various software components used in building a product. This information is crucial in vulnerability and asset management, enabling organizations to quickly identify software or component dependencies and supply chain risks.