OT security protects the hardware and software that run physical operations: industrial control systems, SCADA, PLCs, and the networks connecting them. Unlike IT security, where the priority is protecting data, OT security prioritizes safety, uptime, and the physical processes that keep critical infrastructure running.

IT security protects information: confidentiality comes first. OT security protects physical processes, so availability and safety come first. A system you can patch on a Tuesday afternoon in IT might run untouched for years in OT, because taking it offline stops production. The two disciplines share techniques, but the risk calculus is different, which is why teams trained only on IT scenarios struggle when an incident crosses into the OT environment.

OT/ICS security is the practice of defending industrial control systems within the wider operational technology estate. It covers the adversary techniques mapped in MITRE ATT&CK for ICS, malware built for industrial infrastructure like PLC-targeting threats, and the detection and response skills teams need inside a live plant environment.

Look for coverage that reflects how OT incidents actually unfold. That means OT-specific threat content rather than repurposed IT material, hands-on environments that emulate real industrial control systems, exercises that span the IT/OT boundary where most intrusions begin, and a way to measure whether your team's capability is improving, not just whether they completed the training.

An OT cyber risk assessment maps the assets in your industrial environment, the threats targeting them, and the gaps between the two. One gap organizations consistently underestimate is human capability. Immersive's Adaptive OT/ICS Skills Assessment baselines proficiency across your OT and ICS teams, so you can see where response capability is thin before an incident finds it for you.