What are OT Networks?

Operational Technology (OT) networks are the backbone of industrial environments. They encompass hardware and software systems that detect or cause changes through direct monitoring and control of physical devices, processes, and events within an enterprise. These networks are crucial in industries such as manufacturing, energy, transportation, and utilities, where real-time operations are critical.

Importance of OT Network Monitoring

In the era of Industry 4.0, OT networks are increasingly interconnected with IT networks, enhancing efficiency but also exposing critical infrastructure to new cyber threats. Monitoring OT networks is essential to:

Ensure Operational Continuity: Prevent downtime and maintain seamless operations.
Enhance Security: Detect and mitigate cyber threats in real-time.
Regulatory Compliance: Meet industry standards and regulatory requirements.
Optimise Performance: Improve operational efficiency and troubleshoot issues swiftly.

Challenges in OT Network Monitoring

Complexity: OT environments often consist of legacy systems with proprietary protocols.
Security: OT networks are prime targets for cyber attacks due to their critical nature.
Downtime: Any disruption can lead to significant operational and financial losses.
Visibility: Limited insight into network traffic and device communications.

Packet Brokers

Intelligent Traffic Management: Filter, aggregate, and distribute network traffic to monitoring and security tools.
Advanced Security Features: Decrypt, analyse, and detect malicious activities in real-time.
Centralised Visibility: Unified view of network traffic across multiple sites and devices.

TAPs

Non-intrusive Monitoring: Capture 100% of network traffic without introducing latency.
High Reliability: Robust design to withstand industrial environments.
Scalability: Flexible deployment options to accommodate network growth.

Technology Partnerships

Cisco is a global leader in telecommunications, security, network infrastructure and IT applications. As an official Cisco Solution Partner, Network Critical helps provide visibility and access for Cisco security and performance monitoring solutions.

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Technology Partnerships

Riverbed is the leader in Application Performance Infrastructure, delivering the most complete platform for the hybrid enterprise to ensure applications perform as expected, data is always available when needed, and performance issues can be proactively detected and resolved before impacting business performance.

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Technology Partnerships

Arista Networks is at the forefront of the next-generation of networking technologies. By combining industry standard switch hardware with intelligent SDN control software, the company is delivering next-generation data center networking fabrics for the world’s most advanced data centers looking to achieve unmatched degrees of network automation.

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Technology Partnerships

Palo Alto's pioneering Security Operating Platform emboldens their digital transformation with continuous innovation that seizes the latest breakthroughs in security, automation, and analytics. By delivering a true platform and empowering a growing ecosystem of change-makers like us, we provide highly effective and innovative cybersecurity across clouds, networks, and mobile devices.