Forrester Wave: Palo Alto Networks and Cisco Lead in OT Defense

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Forrester’s recent OT security ranking saw Palo Alto Networks rise to the leader position, while Claroty and Tenable dropped to strong performers. Brian Wrozek from Forrester highlighted the challenges of implementing modern security measures on legacy OT systems, emphasizing the need for stronger security measures due to ransomware and geopolitical threats targeting OT environments. Companies like Palo Alto Networks and Cisco have excelled by offering comprehensive protection capabilities that address both IT and OT security needs, including asset identification, threat detection, and secure remote access.

Smaller organizations may prefer standalone OT tools for simplicity, while larger organizations in critical sectors opt for best-in-class solutions from specialized OT security vendors. The industry is shifting towards addressing specific use cases like asset discovery and threat identification, with a growing emphasis on identity management in OT environments.

Palo Alto Networks recently introduced rugged firewalls for harsh OT environments, emphasizing a holistic approach to OT security that integrates visibility, segmentation, and policy generation. Cisco, on the other hand, has focused on unifying security information across IT and OT environments through investments like Splunk for better visibility and threat response.

Despite their strengths, Palo Alto Networks faced criticism for not supporting a broader set of OT devices, while Cisco was faulted for weak cloud integration and compliance workflow capabilities. Both companies are committed to addressing these criticisms and improving their offerings to meet customer needs in the evolving OT security landscape.

Overall, the OT security market is seeing a shift towards cloud solutions, identity management, and improved security through technologies like generative AI. The industry will continue to adapt to address the blended threat landscape as IT and OT systems become increasingly integrated.

Article Source
https://www.govinfosecurity.com/palo-alto-networks-cisco-dominate-ot-defense-forrester-wave-a-25642