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In my experience leading secure OT modernization, cloud in OT isn’t about lifting control loops to the internet—it’s about modernizing the supporting services around them. Start with non-critical OT services (patch orchestration, AV/EDR update infrastructure, file/ops servers, remote access gateways, asset telemetry/historian replication). Pilot at one site, measure, then scale.

Why now?

“Cloud connectivity offers a wealth of benefits for energy providers and other critical infrastructure operators.” — Owl Cyber Defense

But be clear-eyed:

“Simply put, moving industrial systems to the cloud renders traditional security concepts obsolete.” — David Masson, Darktrace

☁️ Hybrid patterns are the sweet spot for most plants:

“New developments in cloud, IoT, and edge computing have opened the door for traditionally on-premises OT workloads to evolve into hybrid workloads.” — AWS

Treat OT-to-cloud as a risk-engineered architecture, not a one-off integration: identity-first access, segmented paths, private endpoints, protocol-aware brokering/diodes, centralized monitoring, and clear ownership between IT and OT.

Start small. Prove value. Keep control-plane and safety-critical functions local while you mature controls and skills.

Your turn: If you were modernizing an OT environment, what would you pilot first—and which security control (e.g., private connectivity, JIT access, data diode) is non-negotiable on day one?

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OTSecurity #ICS #CloudSecurity #IIoT #IndustrialCybersecurity #CriticalInfrastructure #ManufacturingSecurity #DigitalTransformation #EdgeComputing #CyberRisk #ITOT #OperationalTechnology #CyberAwareness #CloudAdoption #SecurityArchitecture #ZeroTrust #OTTransformation #CISO

Thanks to Eric May for collaborating with me on this!