Knowledge Sprint: From Scope to Deployment: Building SP2-Ready OT Security for Critical Infrastructure

Critical infrastructure operators are under increasing pressure to strengthen cyber resilience while maintaining safe, reliable, and continuous operations. For many organisations, the challenge extends beyond deploying security tools to understanding which systems are truly vital, how critical services depend on them, and whether those systems can be safely isolated during a cyber incident. Water utilities, energy providers, manufacturers, and other essential service operators face unique operational technology (OT) challenges, including legacy systems, remote access dependencies, complex OT/IT interconnections, limited maintenance windows, and equipment that cannot safely support traditional endpoint security solutions.

Recent attacks targeting operational technology environments have reinforced the importance of identifying critical systems and understanding operational dependencies before an incident occurs. Organisations are increasingly being asked to demonstrate not only their ability to detect threats, but also their capability to maintain critical services, isolate vital systems when required, and recover safely from operational disruptions.

This Knowledge Sprint explores a practical journey from OT scoping and maturity assessment through to deployment and operational resilience. Using Red Piranha's OT Scoping Methodology, CIRMP-aligned security framework, and CI Fortify principles for isolating vital systems, we'll demonstrate how organisations can identify critical assets, assess OT maturity, understand shared dependencies, evaluate isolation capability, and build a roadmap toward AESCSF SP2 readiness.

Through a real-world-inspired critical infrastructure scenario, attendees will see how asset discovery, OT network segmentation, Passive Encryption Control Application (PECA), OT-aware threat detection, and isolation-focused incident response work together to support operational continuity. Rather than focusing on security tools alone, the session will demonstrate how organisations can move from understanding their environment to protecting, operating, and continuously improving it.

Attendees will leave with practical guidance for improving OT security maturity, supporting CIRMP obligations, aligning with IEC 62443 principles, assessing isolation readiness, and building a resilient OT security program capable of protecting critical services without compromising operational availability