Treat industrial AI, IT and OT as one attack surface
The piece explores how ABB is re-architecting industrial systems so cybersecurity and AI are woven into control loops, rather than tacked on as perimeter defences.
Converging stacks, converging responsibilities
- Traditional separation between IT networks and OT (operational technology) is eroding as plants, sensors and control systems become IP-connected.
- ABB is responding with architectures where security policies, monitoring and analytics span from the edge device to the cloud, reducing blind spots.
- AI is used both to optimise operations and to spot anomalies in behaviour that might signal cyber intrusions or misconfigurations.
From compliance to continuous resilience
- Embedded security and AI-driven analytics support continuous risk assessment, rather than periodic audits.
- This is crucial as supply chains and partner ecosystems become more intertwinedone weak link can disrupt entire industries.
What CISOs and plant leaders can take away
Industrial players rolling out AI must assume that every new sensor, model and API is also a new potential entry point. ABB's approach suggests a future where the plant's digital twin, AI models and security controls form a single, tightly integrated system aimed at keeping operations safe even under attack.