OT Risk Assessment
See the risks before they become operational problems.
In complex industrial environments, cyber risk is never just a cybersecurity issue. When a control system is exposed, the real consequences show up in operations: downtime, process deviation, safety hazards, or regulatory scrutiny. That's why effective OT risk management starts with understanding where your systems are vulnerable and how that exposure translates into real-world impact.
Many industrial organisations have a strong maintenance discipline, but risk information is scattered: some knowledge sits in spreadsheets, some with vendors, some with engineers who have worked the line for decades. Without a structured assessment, those gaps often remain invisible until the moment a failure or cyber incident forces urgent action.
OT Risk Assessments help convert uncertainty into clarity. We analyse your control environment from both a technical and operational perspective, looking at how device weaknesses, network design, vendor access, and human processes influence the reliability and safety of your operations.
The result is not just a list of issues; it is a practical understanding of what could go wrong, how likely it is, and what the consequences would be. With that insight, you can plan confidently, allocate budgets wisely, and strengthen defence against both accidental failures and deliberate attacks.
RISK IGNORED IS SAFETY COMPROMISED. ASSESS, ACT, AND STAY RESILIENT.
Why OT Risk Assessment Matters
In traditional IT environments, risk is usually tied to confidentiality and data protection. In OT environments, a single overlooked risk can stop production or put people in danger. That is a very different starting point.
Control systems operate physical processes that keep plants running. When weaknesses go unmanaged, the impacts can be immediate and measurable:
- 1. Production interruptions and unplanned shutdowns
- 2. Equipment stress leading to accelerated wear or damage
- 3. Quality deviations and rejected output
- 4. Safety system malfunctions during a real event
- 5. Regulatory findings that slow operations or trigger penalties
Most vulnerabilities are not introduced by attackers. They emerge gradually through normal operations:
- 1. Quick fixes that bypass segmentation
- 2. Legacy firmware has been left in service for years
- 3. Remote vendor access is not disabled fully after maintenance
- 4. Firewall rules softened under production pressure.
- 5. Shared passwords in use on older controllers
- 6. Engineering changes are not fully documented.
Standards such as IEC 62443, NIST SP 800-82, NERC CIP, and ISO 27001 expect risks to be identified, prioritised, and managed. A structured assessment makes it easier to show accountability and readiness when regulators or auditors ask questions.
Ignoring a risk does not make it disappear.
Seeing it clearly is the first step toward making it safe.
What We Deliver
A risk assessment should provide direction, not just diagnosis. Arista Cyber gives you a complete view of where risks exist, what could trigger them, and how to reduce impact while keeping production stable.
✔ Risk Register of Critical Assets
All assets that influence safety and uptime are documented with associated vulnerabilities and exposure, so you know exactly where to focus.
✔ Threat Likelihood & Impact Analysis
We talk through each risk in practical terms, how likely it is to show up in the real world, and what would happen if it did. That makes it much easier to recognise which issues could interrupt production or safety, not just look severe on paper.
✔ Operationally Safe Mitigation Strategies
When improvements are recommended, they're chosen with your operating reality in mind. Downtime windows, vendor coordination, and change-control rules are all part of the conversation, so reliability stays protected while things get safer.
✔ Prioritised Action Plan
The highest-risk items are clearly laid out with who needs to handle them and when it makes sense to do the work, so nothing gets lost or buried in a long list.
✔ Audit-Ready Documentation
Evidence is organised to support the expectations of industrial standards, helping compliance discussions run smoothly.
A strong risk assessment keeps teams aligned on what matters most, and why it matters.
Our Approach
Risk management in industrial environments must respect one rule above all: production comes first. Our assessment approach is built to support that.
1) Asset Discovery and Classification
We start by fully understanding what equipment is actually in service, how it fits into the process, and where it sits in the network. Decisions about risk only make sense once that picture is complete.
2) Threat and Vulnerability Analysis
We assess weaknesses based on how they affect the process itself, from safety functions to product quality and day-to-day productivity.
3) Likelihood × Impact Scoring
Instead of leaving results as technical jargon, we explain what each issue means for uptime, safety, and output. That way, the priorities become obvious without the need for interpretation.
4) Risk Reduction Strategy
Every improvement we suggest is grounded in reality. Sometimes that means tightening segmentation, sometimes it's a firmware update, and sometimes the answer is better procedures or monitoring, whatever keeps production steady while exposure is reduced.
5) Reporting for All Stakeholders
Engineers get the technical view. Leadership gets operational impact and readiness insights.
This ensures the information leads to action, not delay.
Common OT Risk Drivers & Real-World Impacts
Risk in OT does not suddenly appear; it accumulates over time through operational shortcuts and lifecycle changes:
- 1. Firmware no longer supported by the vendor.
- 2. Network segments that allow too much lateral movement
- 3. Remote access was left enabled after vendor servicing
- 4. Firewalls relaxed under pressure to maintain output.
- 5. Shared credentials on legacy controllers
- 6. Unrecorded engineering modifications
Individually, these look minor. Together, they can create serious consequences:
- 1. Safety system malfunction during a critical event
- 2. Loss of monitoring or supervisory visibility
- 3. Unexpected downtime on high-output units
- 4. Compliance penalties and delayed operations
- 5. Premature equipment wear or asset damage
A strong risk assessment shows how today's shortcuts could become tomorrow's critical issues, long before they reach that point.
Assessment Scope & Typical Timeline
Every facility operates differently. We tailor engagement scope to your operational priorities.
Typical Scope Includes
- ✔ Core control systems: DCS, SIS, PLCs, field controllers
- ✔ Operator environments: SCADA, HMIs, historians, engineering stations
- ✔ Industrial network posture: segmentation, firewall performance, routing
- ✔ Remote access: vendor maintenance pathways, wireless links
- ✔ Configuration posture: firmware status, patching limitations, change control gaps
Timeline
Risk assessments usually run over 2–6 weeks, with no interruption to ongoing production:
- Planning and safe-access preparation
- Passive data review and evidence collection
- Validation with engineering stakeholders
- Likelihood and consequence scoring
- Reporting and risk-reduction roadmap
Industrial availability stays protected at every step.
The outcome is greater confidence in your operations and an easier conversation with regulators when the time comes.
Outcomes and Business Benefits
-
1. Straighter visibility
A clearer view of where risk actually lives inside your control environment helps you understand how it could influence reliability on the plant floor. -
2. Better use of engineering time
Your engineers can spend more time on the weaknesses that truly affect uptime and safety, instead of spreading their effort across low-impact tasks. -
3. Audit confidence
All evidence is presented in a way that supports regulatory reviews and internal assurance, so audits become far more predictable. -
4. Improved justification for investment
Budget decisions are guided by documented risk and operational consequences. -
5. Long-term resilience
Step-by-step improvements gradually lower exposure and strengthen plant stability.
OT risk will always exist; the difference is whether it’s managed proactively or discovered when it hurts.
Industries We Support
- Energy and Utilities
- Oil and Gas, both upstream and downstream operations
- Manufacturing and Automotive
- Pharmaceutical Production
- Transportation and Logistics Systems
Wherever industrial processes power business performance, understanding risk is essential.
Take Control of Risk Before It
Controls Your Operations
Risk builds over years of change, expansion, and quick fixes. A professional risk assessment reveals where exposure exists, why it matters, and what can be done safely to reduce it.
If you want confidence that your control systems are protected from both failure and cyber disruption, now is the right moment to gain clarity.
We help secure the systems that keep your operations running.
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