Too many companies use non-business remote access tools on their OT networks, Claroty said

However, he added, OT security cannot be achieved with IT-centric access applications such as TeamViewer, Anydesk, or similar software. OT remote access providers include Claroty, Dispel, Wallix, and Cyolo, he said.

Among the special capabilities required by an OT remote access tool are granular access control, the ability for an administrator or engineer to process session cancellation if they see suspicious activity, and recording of each access session for forensic investigation.

It is true that an attacker on the IT side can wipe out all the company’s data and/or do so much damage that PCs and servers cannot be rebuilt. But, as Tal Laufer, Claroty’s vice president of products, points out, an OT hacker “can blow things up, and stop machines worth millions of dollars an hour from running.”