WHERE OT CYBERSECURITY MEETS AUTOMATION EXPERTISE

Industrial organizations face an increasingly complex challenge: protecting the systems that keep their operations running while maintaining the reliability, safety, and productivity their businesses depend on.

As cybersecurity risks evolve and digital control systems become more interconnected, addressing these challenges requires a collaboration between IT and OT, as well as an understanding of how cybersecurity decisions affect the systems, processes, and people responsible for production.

Recognizing this need, Applied Control Engineering (ACE) established its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Solutions Group (CISG) in late 2025 expanding ACE’s specialized expertise in operational technology (OT) cybersecurity and computing infrastructure. The CISG focuses on helping customers address challenges through defined service offerings that connect cybersecurity and digital modernization needs with practical control systems engineering.

Addressing Cybersecurity in the Industrial Environment

Cybersecurity in manufacturing and industrial operations present distinct considerations. Operational technology supports the equipment, control systems, networks, and infrastructure that enable production. Security measures must account for these systems’ operational requirements, where availability, safety, and performance are essential.

Security decisions can affect system availability, equipment communication, maintenance activities, and ultimately the ability to keep production running. Organizations therefore need to understand not only where vulnerabilities exist, but also how to address them in ways that align with their operating environment.

The CISG brings a focused approach to these challenges, helping customers better understand their risks, evaluate options, and take practical steps towards a more secure and supportable industrial system.

Turning Complex Needs Into Defined Solutions

ACE recognizes that organizations face different challenges depending on their infrastructure, existing security practices, operational priorities, and technical environments.

ACE's CISG addresses these challenges through a defined portfolio of cybersecurity and infrastructure services, including:

• OT Cybersecurity Assessments: Evaluate existing environments, identify vulnerabilities, and establish priorities for security improvements.
• Managed Services: Maintain and support industrial infrastructure as systems, technologies, and business requirements evolve.
• Patching Programs: Develop structured approaches to software updates that account for system compatibility, availability, and operational requirements.
• Tabletop Exercises: Evaluate incident response procedures, identify gaps, and strengthen organizational preparedness for cybersecurity events.
• Reference Architecture Development: Define approaches for secure, reliable, and supportable industrial networks and infrastructure.
• Network and Infrastructure Deployment: Implement infrastructure solutions aligned with technical requirements and operational needs.

Together, these services help organizations move from identifying cybersecurity concerns to developing and implementing solutions appropriate for their operating environments. Rather than treating cybersecurity as a separate initiative, CISG helps customers incorporate security considerations into infrastructure planning, system maintenance, and ongoing operational improvements.

Connecting Security With Reliability and Productivity

Effective industrial cybersecurity requires an understanding of the broader environment in which technology operates. Security measures must work alongside controls engineering, infrastructure, maintenance, and day-to-day operations.

This is where CISG’s connection to ACE’s engineering experience adds value. By bringing cybersecurity expertise together with controls and infrastructure knowledge, ACE can evaluate security decisions in the context of the systems they support, helping organizations address risks while maintaining performance and long-term supportability.

For manufacturers, this integrated approach helps align cybersecurity priorities with production requirements, existing infrastructure, and the realities of maintaining industrial systems. The goal is to strengthen security without losing sight of the operational outcomes they need to protect.

Building on a Focused Foundation

The CISG’s first year represents an important step in formalizing a dedicated portfolio of cybersecurity and infrastructure services within ACE. As industrial technology and cybersecurity challenges continue to evolve, the group’s focus remains on delivering practical solutions that respond to customer needs and support secure, reliable, and maintainable operations.

 Ultimately, industrial cybersecurity is not simply about protecting technology. It is about protecting the systems, processes, and operations that businesses rely on every day. By connecting cybersecurity with control systems engineering, ACE is positioned to help customers approach that responsibility with greater clarity and a focus on operational success.

CONTACT the cybersecurity and infrastructure solutions group TO LEARN MORE.