Protect production, maintain safety, and avoid costly outages
Manufacturing and industrial environments mix OT and IT, legacy control systems, and strict uptime and safety requirements. A targeted program reduces unplanned downtime, prevents unsafe failures, protects intellectual property, and keeps you eligible for supply chain contracts. We design controls and operations that respect production windows and keep engineers focused on operations.
Snapshot first - measure OT and IT before you commit
We begin by measuring the real state of your networks, controllers, and supporting IT so decisions are evidence driven. The Snapshot delivers:
- An asset inventory that covers PLCs, SCADA, HMIs, controllers, industrial gateways, and supporting IT systems.
- Network and segmentation mapping showing OT/IT boundaries and lateral pathways.
- A risk profile for legacy devices, remote maintenance, and vendor access.
- Quick wins and high-risk items that improve safety and uptime.
- You get a prioritized roadmap you can act on immediately.
Scope and objectives - decided after we measure
After the Snapshot we confirm what to protect and what success looks like. Together we set:
- In-scope control systems, production lines, and supporting IT.
- Safety, uptime and recovery targets, explained as Recovery Time Objective and Recovery Point Objective where relevant.
- Vendor access rules, change control targets, and acceptance criteria with named owners.
- This ensures the program protects production and avoids unnecessary scope creep.
Practical industrial controls that matter
- Network segmentation between corporate IT and control networks to limit lateral movement.
- Secure vendor and remote maintenance access with least-privilege controls and time-bound sessions.
- Hardened controller and HMI baselines that preserve safety while removing unnecessary services.
- Planned patch and firmware programs that respect maintenance windows and fallback plans.
- Backup and restore procedures for control software and configurations that are tested and auditable.
- Localized detection and response for OT events, plus clear escalation into IT incident response.
- Supply chain and third-party risk checks so contractor access does not become a vector.
Our five-step client process
- 360-degree Snapshot (five days) - asset inventory, network map, vendor access list, and a prioritized risk and remediation roadmap.
- Scope and Objectives - sign-off on in-scope assets, safety and uptime targets, vendor gates, and owners.
- Design and control plan - segmentation design, access models, hardened baselines, backup and recovery playbooks, and change control processes.
- Implement and validate - staged segmentation and hardening, secure remote access setup, patch and firmware planning, and restore testing during maintenance windows.
- Operate and govern - continuous monitoring, periodic restore and failover tests, vendor access audits, and a governance calendar tied to production schedules.
Deliverables - what you will receive
- Snapshot Report - complete OT and IT asset inventory, network map, and prioritized remediation roadmap.
- Signed Scope and Objectives - agreed production lines, targets, and owners.
- Segmentation and access plan - physical and logical zones, enforcement points, and vendor access rules.
- Hardening baselines and change control - configuration standards, maintenance window processes, and rollback plans.
- Backup, restore and disaster playbooks - tested recoveries for controllers, SCADA, and supporting IT.
- Vendor and third-party governance pack - procurement gates, access templates, and audit checklists.
- Monitoring and detection plan - OT-specific alerts, escalation paths, and integration with incident response.
- Operational handover - runbooks, training for operators, and a maintenance-ready governance calendar.
Timeline and what to expect
- Days 1 to 5 - Snapshot and prioritized roadmap, with our five-day clarity guarantee.
- Week 2 - Scope and Objectives sign-off and target control plan.
- Weeks 3 and up - staged implementation, patch planning, and restore testing aligned to production windows. Timing depends on the number of control zones and vendor coordination.
- Ongoing - periodic restore tests, vendor audits, and scheduled reviews tied to production cycles.
How success is measured
- Snapshot delivered and Scope and Objectives signed by stakeholders.
- Segmentation enforced for critical OT zones and verified by test traffic and microsegmentation checks.
- Hardened baselines applied to controllers and HMIs with safe rollback procedures.
- Vendor access and remote maintenance governed and audited.
- Backup and restore tests pass for scoped control systems within agreed objectives.
- Incident detection and escalation pathways validated in tabletop exercises.
Risks and how we mitigate them
- Changes cause production impact - we schedule staging and testing during maintenance windows, use rehearsals, and keep rollback points.
- Legacy controllers cannot be patched - we apply compensating controls, network isolation, and strict vendor gating.
- Remote vendor access introduces risk - we implement time-bound, logged sessions and require multi-factor identity and device posture checks.
- Incomplete asset visibility - we combine discovery scans with operator interviews and vendor records to create an authoritative inventory.
- Backup restores fail in production - we run staged restores and full validation tests, then fix gaps until restores meet objectives.
- Regulatory or contractual obligations are unmet - we map requirements to controls and maintain an evidence bundle for audits and customers.
Three simple next steps - protect production now
- Book a free 30-minute Clarity Consultation - we confirm which production line or control system is highest risk and the business benefits of protecting it.
- We run the five-day Snapshot - you receive an OT and IT inventory, network segmentation map, and a prioritized roadmap tied to safety and uptime.
- We kick off Week 1 sprint - Delivery assigns the lead, we finalize scope and objectives, and begin staged remediation and vendor gating so production stays safe and predictable.
