Immersive, the leader in people-centric cyber resilience, has officially announced the launch of its cutting-edge Operational Technology (OT) security solution, which is designed to help organizations prove, and at the same time, improve their readiness for OT threats.
According to certain reports, the stated new solution arrives bearing an ability to advance cyber readiness for industrial environments in the OT space long-known for lacking robust security measures.
To understand the significance of such a development, we must take into account how more than 73% of OT professionals reported intrusions that impact these environments, meaning organizations can no longer rely solely on traditional IT security practices.
In response, Immersive’s new OT upskilling solution effectively delivers an interactive, on-demand approach, geared towards upskilling both red and blue teams, arming them with real-world capabilities to detect, disrupt, and respond to OT-specific cyber threats. More on the same would reveal how this particular technology can also be expected to offer powerful learning experiences, all for empowering organizations, at every stage of their security maturity journey, with new content delivered on a consistent basis.
Leveraging the given mechanism, Immersive’s OT solution will address the training needs of both defensive and offensive compliance-driven teams across OT environments. In case this wasn’t enough, the stated technology also delivers all the elements needed to run Immersive Cyber Drills.
“Effective OT cybersecurity training has historically been overlooked in cyber training programs, despite its critical importance to operational resilience,” said Mark Schmitz, CEO of Immersive. “Strengthening hands-on training and implementing cyber drills for OT teams is key to building lasting resilience and maintaining seamless operations. Given the serious risks to productivity, finances, and even the environment, a robust training strategy isn’t just recommended—it’s imperative.”
Talk about the whole value proposition on a slightly deeper level, we begin from its Adaptive OT/ICS Skills Assessment (BETA) facility. Integrated into Immersive’s labs by default, the facility in question features baselines user proficiency in OT and ICS security. At launch, BETA is exclusively available to customers with the OT license.
Next up, we have OT Threat Actor Collection capabilities coming into play. These capabilities will come in handy to explore the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) associated with known threat actors targeting OT systems. Complementing this would be focus on MITRE ATT&CK for ICS and Enterprise frameworks.
Another detail worth a mention is rooted in an aspect committed to OT malware collection, which covers threats to both general-purpose systems and OT-specific infrastructure, such as programmable logic controllers.
Immersive’s OT technology is also focused on collecting cyber threat intelligence. Here, the technology builds foundational CTI skills tailored as per OT environments, enabling teams to investigate and track OT-focused threat campaigns.
Rounding up highlights would be the solution’s bid to provide Realistic Scenario-Based Team Exercises.
These exercises include Cyber Range Exercises – Sandworm Intrusion (Defensive), which facilitates testing of critical skills in a collaborative lab. The stated test includes simulating an attack by the notorious Sandworm threat actor to provide teams with the opportunity to practice detection and response strategies in a safe, controlled OT environment.
Apart from that, we also have an exercise centered upon crisis simulation. This one is focused on empowering organizations to strengthen communication, decision-making, and incident response coordination in high-pressure situations.
Founded in 2017, Immersive’s rise up the ranks stems from its tailored approach that allows for organizations to stay ready for an ever-evolving threat landscape, including the opportunities and challenges posed by AI. The company’s excellence in what it does can also be understood once you consider it serves various heavyweights like Citi, Pfizer, Humana, HSBC, and more.
Immersive’s case is also aided by its lineup of investors which includes Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Summit Partners, Insight Partners, Citi Ventures, Ten Eleven Ventures, and Menlo Ventures.
“Operational technology is now a front-line target for ransomware, nation-state attacks, and supply chain vulnerabilities, but the training available to defend it has historically lagged behind,” said Thanos Karpouzis, Chief Technology Officer at Immersive. “Immersive has filled this gap in the market with continuous OT exercising and hands-on, self-guided OT labs to prove and improve vital cyber capabilities. With the stakes being so high for industrial systems, the need for robust security measures and thorough training cannot be overstated.”