AI-Powered OT Security Assessment: A 5 Step Guide

 

What is an OT Security Assessment?

An OT (Operational Technology) security assessment is a structured review of your industrial control systems (ICS), networks, and processes to identify vulnerabilities, measure risk, and recommend improvements. Think of it as a health check for your factory floor, making sure your most critical systems are resilient against cyberattacks.

How AI Improves OT Security Assessments

Traditional assessments often require site visits, manual data collection, and weeks of analysis. With AI, companies like Frenos can:

  • Analyze existing OT data without disrupting production

  • Create a digital twin of your environment for safe testing

  • Run AI-driven threat emulation to reveal hidden risks

  • Deliver faster, more accurate reports aligned to compliance standards (NIST, IEC 62443, NERC CIP and NIS2)

5 Steps to Incorporating AI Into Your OT Security Assessment

Step 1: Define Your Security Goals

Decide what you want to achieve: compliance, asset visibility, downtime prevention, or risk reduction. Clear goals set the stage for AI to add value.

Step 2: Collect and Normalize Your Data

Pull together the network logs, system configs, and monitoring data you already have. AI platforms make sense of this raw data without disrupting your operations.

Step 3: Build a Digital Twin of Your OT Environment

A digital twin is a virtual model of your plant floor. It lets AI simulate scenarios and test controls in a safe, non-production environment.

Step 4: Run AI-Driven Threat Emulation

AI can safely simulate cyberattacks, insider threats, and system failures inside the twin. This exposes gaps in defenses without touching live systems.

Step 5: Prioritize and Act on Insights

AI doesn’t just flag vulnerabilities, it ranks them by understanding if they are exploitable and where. Your team can focus resources on the most critical fixes and stay ahead of compliance requirements.

FAQs About OT Security Assessments

Will an AI-powered OT security assessment disrupt operations?
 No. Unlike IT assessment tools, Frenos OT assessments use existing data and digital twin technology, so your production runs normally while the assessment runs in the background.

How long does it take to complete an OT security assessment?
 Traditional assessments can take weeks or months. With AI, Frenos can deliver meaningful results in minutes to days, depending on scope.

What industries benefit most from OT security assessments?
 Any industry with operational technology, manufacturing, energy, utilities, chemicals, and transportation, gains value from improved visibility and risk reduction.

How often should we run an OT security assessment?
 Best practice is at least once per year, or after major system changes. AI makes it practical to run them continuously without added burden.

How does this help with compliance?
 AI assessments map findings to frameworks like NIST CSF, IEC 62443, and NERC CIP, giving you a clear path to compliance and audit readiness.

Ready to Get Started?

Frenos helps organizations move from months of manual work to minutes of AI-powered insight. Request a demo today and see how digital twin + AI technology can transform your OT security assessment.