How to centralise remote access: securing all access to your OT systems
What happened
The article explains centralising remote access to operational technology (OT) systems to reduce tool sprawl and security risk. It cites prevalence metrics — many organisations run multiple remote tools and a large share have experienced breaches tied to third‑party access — making centralisation an operational control worth contracting. Watch whether suppliers accept a central tool mandate or insist on special‑case access that requires contract-level handling
Buyer takeaway
Make central remote‑access support a negotiated LTSA deliverable and require suppliers to prove compatibility and controls
Cost / money
May reduce incident and repeat-troubleshooting costs but can introduce integration or licence costs to support the buyer's central tool
Supplier / commercial
Suppliers might resist or charge for integration; use contract terms to require tool support or specify controlled exceptions
Safety / operations
Clarifies MTTR and access ownership, lowering the operational risk stemming from uncontrolled third‑party connections
What to watch
Some vendors will try to keep proprietary tools or narrow commercial terms; verify supplier willingness early in the procurement process
Key facts
- 55% of organisations report four or more remote access tools in OT environments
- 82% report at least one cyber incident related to third‑party access
Source excerpts
Level 1: First-party access — Internal engineers use a centralised remote access tool
Level 4: Cost optimisation — The final stage brings all remote access through your centralised tool
Vendors may use diverse technologies and architectures
