Bridging the Gap Unlock the Power of OT Skills in the Digital Age

Bridging the Gap Unlock the Power of OT Skills in the Digital Age

When Hackers Shut Down the Factory Floor: Are Your OT Systems Protected? Imagine this: A major manufacturing plant grinds to a halt. Not because of a mechanical failure, but because of a sophisticated cyberattack targeting its Operational Technology (OT) systems. Production lines stop, critical infrastructure is compromised, and the financial and reputational damage is immense. This isn’t a hypothetical scenario; it’s a growing reality. As Skills and Training Product Managers at Cisco, we see firsthand…

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Operational and Financial Benefits of Energy Utility Network Digitization

Operational and Financial Benefits of Energy Utility Network Digitization

Digitizing and automating the network for energy utilities can lead to significant operational and financial benefits by reducing operational expenses (OPEX), capital expenses (CAPEX), human configuration errors, and time to deploy. Benefits will vary depending on the utility’s starting point, scale, and maturity of existing systems. However, based on industry insights, case studies, and vendor analysis (such as those from Cisco or other networking companies), the following approximate figures are often indicated: Reduction in OPEX:…

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Connecting a New Generation of Moving Assets with Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul

Connecting a New Generation of Moving Assets with Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul

What traits does a wireless network need to connect moving assets? Answer: it depends on the stakes. Occasional lapses in connectivity and a little latency might be okay if you’re catching up on email while riding a bus, but not if you’re remotely controlling a 100,000-pound bulldozer on a steep dam slope. That’s why Aterpa, a Brazilian engineering company hired to decommission Brazil’s tailings dams, uses Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul (URWB) to remotely control heavy…

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Innovative OT Security Solutions by Cisco at RSAC 2025

Innovative OT Security Solutions by Cisco at RSAC 2025

The world’s cybersecurity community is gearing up to meet at the RSAC™ 2025 Conference in San Francisco. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, and discussing OT security needs with industrial organizations. Be sure you stop by the Cisco booth and say Hi! We’ll be showcasing the latest features of Industrial Threat Defense, Cisco’s comprehensive and highly modular OT security solution. It uses the industrial network as the fabric to easily…

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Cisco Industrial Security: Your blueprint for securing critical infrastructure

Cisco Industrial Security: Your blueprint for securing critical infrastructure

Safeguarding industrial control systems (ICS) from cyber threats is a critical priority, but transforming these intentions into effective actions can be challenging. Given the complexity of ICS and their networks, which often rely on outdated technologies and inadequate security measures, it can be difficult to determine the best starting point. Cisco Validated Designs (CVDs) are proven networking and security reference architectures that industrial organizations can use to build advanced capabilities and create a flexible foundation…

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Modernize Your Industrial Infrastructure for Cybersecurity and AI Readiness with Cisco Validated Designs

Modernize Your Industrial Infrastructure for Cybersecurity and AI Readiness with Cisco Validated Designs

The necessity of tested and proven network architectures Many industrial operations rely on networks provided to them by their automation vendors. These default networks often focus on the immediate, localized needs of specific equipment or processes. While they may be good at their intended function, they frequently fall short when addressing the broader challenges of scale, security, and innovation in modern industrial environments. Such networks may not consistently offer the level of cybersecurity needed to…

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Cisco IR8100 Among First Products Certified for Wi-SUN FAN 1.1

Cisco IR8100 Among First Products Certified for Wi-SUN FAN 1.1

Customers can take advantage of new capabilities of Wi-SUN FAN 1.1 With over 100 products certified by the Wi-SUN Alliance, Field Area Network 1.0 is a popular networking option for smart utility and smart city use cases. Electric utility metering, distribution automation, and municipal street lighting applications benefit greatly from FAN’s secure, self-forming, self-healing IPv6 wireless mesh networking which is able to support million scale deployments spanning large geographic areas. Building on the strong foundation…

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Unleash OT Security with the Best of IT

Unleash OT Security with the Best of IT

If I were planning security for an exhibit of the crown jewels, you can be sure I’d coordinate efforts with other galleries in the facility. After all, a thief who broke into an adjoining gallery would be just a wall away from breaching mine. The same applies to securing operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) networks. IDC highlights the need for IT/OT collaboration on cybersecurity in a new Infobrief called “The Future of Industrial…

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Cisco and Hitachi collaborate on digitizing substation protection and control

Cisco and Hitachi collaborate on digitizing substation protection and control

Cisco and Hitachi Ltd. are collaborating to revolutionize substation protection and control through digitization. This transformation involves replacing traditional copper cables with fiber optic ethernet, boosting throughput to enable more critical substation data while significantly reducing installation and maintenance complexity and cost through cabling simplification. Hitachi selected Cisco based on their extensive experience in industrial ethernet, and their purpose-built utility certified switches including the Catalyst IE9300, which make substation digitization compliant with IEC 61850 standards….

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Cisco Wins “Industrial IoT Company of the Year 2025” Award from IoT Breakthrough Organization

Cisco Wins “Industrial IoT Company of the Year 2025” Award from IoT Breakthrough Organization

I’m pleased to report that Cisco was named Industrial IoT Company of the Year 2025 in the IoT Breakthrough Awards Program. Since 2017, IoT Breakthrough has made annual awards to industrial IoT companies and products based on quality, unique technology, and market leadership. I would like to thank our customers, partners, and the entire Cisco industrial IoT team for making this award possible. “Most people know Cisco for their enterprise networking products, but for over…

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