IT/OT segmentation

IT/OT segmentation separates and controls communication between information technology —users, business systems and office services— and operational technology —machines, controllers and physical processes. Its purpose is to limit lateral movement while allowing only necessary flows without compromising industrial safety or availability. It involves more than adding a firewall: teams need asset inventory, zones and conduits, justified rules, controlled remote access, logging and change management. Legacy protocols and narrow maintenance windows require cautious testing. Vendors, engineering workstations and shared services must also be included. Effective separation is verified against observed traffic and controlled failure scenarios; an updated diagram is valuable, but it does not prove that deployed rules match the approved design.