Cyber security of OT networks: A tutorial and overview

Computer Science > Cryptography and Security [Submitted on 19 Feb 2025 (v1), last revised 25 Jun 2026 (this version, v3)] Cyber security of OT networks: A tutorial and overview Sarthak Kapoor, Sumit Kumar, Harsh Vardhan This manuscript explores the cybersecurity challenges of Operational Technology (OT) networks, focusing on their critical role in industrial environments such as manufacturing, energy, and utilities. As OT systems increasingly integrate with Information Technology (IT) systems due to Industry 4.0 initiatives, they become more vulnerable to cyberattacks, which pose risks not only to data but also to physical infrastructure. The study examines key components of OT systems, such as SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), and RTUs (Remote Terminal Units), and analyzes recent cyberattacks targeting OT environments. Furthermore, it highlights the security concerns arising from the convergence of IT and OT systems, examining attack vectors and the growing threats posed by malware, ransomware, and nation-state actors. Finally, the paper discusses modern approaches and tools used to secure these environments, providing insights into improving the cybersecurity posture of OT networks. Subjects: Cryptography and Security (cs.CR) Cite as: arXiv:2502.14017 [cs.CR]   (or arXiv:2502.14017v3 [cs.CR] for this version)   https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2502.14017 Focus to learn more Submission history From: Sumit Kumar [view email] [v1] Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:23:42 UTC (236 KB) [v2] Mon, 1 Dec 2025 18:07:06 UTC (1,318 KB) [v3] Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:27:46 UTC (1,202 KB) Access Paper: HTML (experimental) view license Current browse context: cs.CR < prev   |   next > new | recent | 2025-02 Change to browse by: cs References & Citations NASA ADS Google Scholar Semantic Scholar Export BibTeX Citation Bookmark Bibliographic Tools Bibliographic and Citation Tools Bibliographic Explorer Toggle Bibliographic Explorer (What is the Explorer?) Connected Papers Toggle Connected Papers (What is Connected Papers?) Litmaps Toggle Litmaps (What is Litmaps?) scite.ai Toggle scite Smart Citations (What are Smart Citations?) Code, Data, Media Demos Related Papers About arXivLabs Which authors of this paper are endorsers? | Disable MathJax (What is MathJax?)