Aerial view of an industrial plant overlaid with digital network graphics and lock icons, representing cybersecurity for operational technology (OT).

OT Confidence Outpaces Asset Visibility

Complete OT asset records were reported by 21% of respondents, despite 88% rating their cybersecurity programs as mature.

Honeywell Technologies recently released its 2026 Operational Technology Cybersecurity Benchmark Report, identifying differences between industrial organizations' confidence in their security programs and the controls they reported having in place.

More than 600 leaders responsible for cybersecurity risk, compliance or operations participated. They represented the energy, oil and gas, healthcare, maritime and manufacturing sectors across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The most consequential incident found disrupted operations for an average of 16.2 hours; hourly losses reached as high as $500,000.

Centralized security operations centers had complete OT integration at 33% of the organizations surveyed. Continuous oversight of connected cameras, sensors and other Internet of Things devices was less common, at 20%. Nearly all respondents, 99%, anticipated an effect from artificial intelligence on OT security during the next two to three years. Autonomous or agentic threat-detection methods were already in use among 23%.

Healthcare showed another visibility gap: 19% said building and facility systems were fully included in cybersecurity monitoring and protection. The report separately found that significant OT incidents had affected 87% of maritime respondents and 91% of those in energy and utilities during the prior 12 months.

About the Author

Danielle Naidu is assistant editor for Security Today, Campus Security Today, Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.

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