ICS/OT-Security: A Growing Concern Amidst Budget Constraints
Investments in OT-Security Lacking
Despite the growing acceptance of OT-security, only 27% of companies transfer their budget control to their CISOs or CSOs. As a result, critical ICS/OT requirements are often overlooked or ignored.
Budget Allocation for Security
Nearly half of the surveyed organizations allocate only a quarter of their security budget for the protection of critical infrastructure. However, 27% reported that they experienced one or more security incidents related to their control systems within the past 12 months.
Focus on Traditional IT Systems
“The budgets for cybersecurity are indeed growing, but a large part of these investments still focuses on traditional business systems like IT,” comments Holger Fischer, Director of Sales EMEA Central at Opswat.
Consequences of Inadequate Budget Allocation
This lack of investment in OT-security leads to ICS/OT environments and the company as a whole being left unprotected, warns the security specialist.
Conclusion
The findings of this survey highlight the need for companies to reassess their budget allocation for OT-security. With the growing threat landscape, it is crucial that organizations prioritize the protection of their ICS/OT environments to avoid potential security breaches and ensure business continuity.
FAQs
- What is the current state of OT-security investments? Only 27% of companies transfer their budget control to their CISOs or CSOs, leading to inadequate investments in OT-security.
- How much of the security budget is allocated for critical infrastructure protection? Nearly half of the surveyed organizations allocate only a quarter of their security budget for the protection of critical infrastructure.
- Why is the focus still on traditional IT systems? “The budgets for cybersecurity are indeed growing, but a large part of these investments still focuses on traditional business systems like IT,” comments Holger Fischer, Director of Sales EMEA Central at Opswat.
- What are the consequences of inadequate budget allocation? This lack of investment in OT-security leads to ICS/OT environments and the company as a whole being left unprotected, warns the security specialist.







