As the wave of Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sweeps the globe, the convergence of Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) is irreversible. While this convergence brings unprecedented productivity and data insights, it also shatters the myth of the "physical isolation" of traditional Industrial Control Systems (ICS), exposing critical production networks to increasingly complex cyber threats.
As a century-old leader in signal transmission and industrial network solutions, Belden believes that the fundamental solution to this challenge is not passively "patching" the system after its construction, but rather returning to the fundamentals—deeply embedding security principles from the initial infrastructure design stage, building a robust defense with inherent security capabilities.
The Unique Challenges of OT Security: Why IT Security Strategies Cannot Be Directly Adapted?
Before discussing solutions, we must clearly recognize the uniqueness of the OT environment. Unlike IT environments that prioritize data "confidentiality," the core demands of the OT environment are production "availability" and "continuity." Any downtime caused by inadequate security measures can result in millions of dollars in economic losses or even safety accidents.
OT networks face unique challenges:
Availability is paramount: Security updates or scans must never interrupt production processes.
Common legacy systems: A large number of decades-old devices (PLCs, HMIs) do not support modern encryption protocols and cannot be patched.
Proprietary protocols: Industrial protocols (such as Modbus TCP, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET) were not designed with security in mind and are vulnerable to attack.
Harsh environments: Equipment must operate stably in extreme temperatures, humidity, and vibration conditions.
Therefore, simply replicating IT security strategies in the OT field is counterproductive. Security solutions must be deeply adapted to the specific needs of OT.
Belden Hirschmann: Building a Security Infrastructure from Three
Layer 1: Zones & Conduits – Robust Network Isolation
This is the cornerstone of industrial network security. By dividing the network into different security zones (Zones), such as control zones, monitoring zones, and production execution zones, and restricting communication between zones to clearly defined conduits, the lateral movement of threats can be effectively curbed. Even if a zone is compromised, the damage can be limited to a minimum. Belden's Practice: Belden's Hirschmann industrial switch series provides a solid and reliable hardware foundation for building a clear "zones and conduits" model through powerful VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) segmentation, Access Control Lists (ACLs), and granular port management. It ensures that only authorized traffic can flow between zones of different security levels.
Layer 2: Boundary Protection – Intelligent "Industrial-Grade Gatekeepers"
After dividing the network into zones, each zone's boundary needs a powerful "gatekeeper" to perform strict security checks. This is not just simple traffic blocking, but requires intelligent protection that understands industrial language. Belden's Practice: The Eagle series industrial security firewalls are the core of this layer. It's not just a firewall; it's a Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) expert designed specifically for OT environments. It can "understand" industrial protocols such as Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP, and OPC, allowing only legitimate commands that conform to preset rules, while rejecting any abnormal or malicious command packets, providing protection for vulnerable PLCs that cannot be patched.
The third layer: Network Robustness and Visibility –
Ensuring Continuous Operation and Rapid Response The foundation of security is stability. A network that frequently drops out and performs poorly is itself the biggest security risk. Furthermore, you cannot protect what you cannot see. A clear understanding of the entire network is a prerequisite for proactive defense and rapid response.
Belden's Practices: Hardware Robustness: Belden's cables, connectors, and industrial switches are designed for harsh industrial environments, possessing excellent resistance to electromagnetic interference, wide operating temperature range, and high reliability, ensuring network connectivity availability at the physical level.
Network Visibility: Hirschmann's Industrial HiVision network management software can automatically discover all devices in the network, providing real-time visualization of network topology and health status. The system will immediately issue an alert upon unauthorized device access or link failure, allowing network administrators to grasp the situation and respond promptly.
Security is designed in, not added on. Industrial network security is a long-term battle; there is no silver bullet. However, a network with security design implemented at the infrastructure level will be far more resilient to risks than systems that rely on add-on security software.
Belden's perspective is clear and unwavering: security should not be an expensive afterthought, but an inherent core attribute of the network. By integrating principles such as area isolation, perimeter protection, network robustness, and full visibility into every fundamental component—switches, gateways, cables, and management software—we can truly build a robust defense for our customers that can withstand external threats while ensuring stable internal production operations, thus enabling them to navigate the wave of digital transformation steadily and sustainably.
Post time: Feb-11-2026