Genians, the industry leader of innovative Network Access Control (NAC) solutions, announced today its release of a two-part white paper on current industry trends in the area of IT and OT convergence.

• Part 1 – The age-old separation of IT and OT (Operational Technology) has begun to erode with the emergence of IoT
• Part II – Empower Your IT/OT Convergence with Genians Next-Gen NAC Capabilities

The movement toward greater integration of traditional Operational Technology (OT) systems with modern IT infrastructures and business applications, especially in industrial settings, has been underway for a number of years now. The advantages are clear: as OT systems become increasingly complex and connected, they need to be able to leverage enterprise network communications infrastructure and IT operations resources.

Similarly, businesses see the benefit in accessing and analyzing the data often contained within legacy OT systems. However, cybersecurity concerns are of increasing importance as previously standalone legacy OT systems are modernized, become connected to enterprise network infrastructure, and are thus exposed to the entire range of information security risks present in the world today. According to Gartner’s analysis, “lack of security posture and asset visibility, ineffective security countermeasures, and compliance and interoperability issues are key concerns slowing security adoption” in traditional OT environments.

Removing obstacles to IT/OT convergence is a key challenge for enterprises today. Most legacy OT systems will require some level of upgrading or outright replacement in order to be manageable, secure, and resilient. This will require significant capital expense, as well as involve considerable time and energy by IT/OT staff to ensure the required degree of systems interoperability and manageability are achieved.

Successful convergence first requires that all IT/OT systems be visible as network-connected devices. Genians “Device Platform Intelligence” (DPI) allows full visibility into all IP-enabled network devices via a smart-sensing technology that first detects their existence without disturbing their operating state. Genians DPI then quickly identifies and classifies all devices, viewing them holistically to ensure they are operating at the highest levels of security and compliance. From this point on, Genians continuously monitors the entire IT/OT environment, determines any departures from set policies, and allows for full device control, including network access removal. Importantly, all security tasks and procedures can be automated to ensure both compliance and auditable accountability.

IT/OT Convergence will therefore present both challenges and opportunities at the enterprise level. It will also cause changes in the way IT/OT services are developed and delivered. By 2020, Gartner predicts, “50 percent of OT service providers will create key partnerships with IT-centric providers for IoT offerings.”

Genians is already working in this mode, partnering with Cimetrics, for example, a world leader in developing BACnet protocol-enabled technologies for advanced distributed monitoring and control systems. Leveraging Cimetrics’ deep expertise in IIOT systems communications, Genian NAC is now able to provide enhanced device visibility and control for securing key industrial systems such as those involved in energy management, building controls, HVAC systems, and more – precisely the advanced capabilities needed to enable full IT/OT convergence.

With its advanced network access control solution, proven through 13 years of successful leadership in the security marketplace, Genians continues to facilitate the comprehensive evolution of organizations in multiple industry verticals toward highly effective IT/OT integration and secure systems management.