Securing a Complex OT Environment Across Multiple Facilities
For data center operators, invisible infrastructure is vulnerable infrastructure. A 2024 global study by Statista found that data breaches now cost businesses an average of $4.88 million per incident, with operational disruptions adding untold losses.
Modern data centers run on an intricate web of BMSs, UPSs (uninterruptible power supplies), chillers, sensors, and security networks. Many of these systems operate out of sight, yet any single point of failure can cascade into downtime, data loss, or reputational damage. Such downtime can also lead to regulatory non-compliance, exposing operators to penalties and legal consequences. As a regional operator supporting mission-critical workloads across Asia-Pacific, the company’s distributed operational technology infrastructure had grown faster than its ability to monitor and secure it.
What Made It Difficult?
- Blind Spots Everywhere: Lack of visibility into distributed OT assets.
- Silos Across Sites: Each facility used different vendors and protocols, creating inconsistent monitoring and security gaps.
- Integration Without Disruption: Adding modern security to legacy systems risked operational instability and costly system downtime.
- Scalability Pressure: Any solution had to adapt quickly to multiple environments without slowing growth.
MetaDefender OT Security Implementation
After evaluating multiple options, the operator selected MetaDefender OT Security for its comprehensive OT asset visibility, inventory management, and threat detection capabilities. The platform offered the perfect balance of powerful monitoring features and deployment flexibility needed for their complex, multi-site environment.
Real-Time Asset Discovery
MetaDefender OT Security automatically discovered and inventoried all OT devices across the operator's network, creating a comprehensive, real-time view of critical assets and the communications moving to and from them.
AI-Powered Network mapping
AI-powered network mapping analyzes traffic patterns to detect unknown or unmanaged devices without relying solely on active scanning, which may not be safe in OT environments. This approach helps recognize devices based on behavioral patterns, even when they don't broadcast identifiable information during passive discovery.
Centralized Dashboard
The solution provided a unified view of all OT assets across multiple data center locations through a centralized management console. Operations teams could monitor the health, status, and security posture of BMS and UPS systems, chillers, sensors, and security devices from a single interface.
Broad Protocol Compatibility for IT and Legacy OT Systems
The platform supported a wide range of industrial protocols commonly used in data centers, including BACnet, Modbus, SNMP, and proprietary building automation protocols. This comprehensive protocol support enabled monitoring of both IT and legacy OT systems without requiring costly infrastructure upgrades.
Lightweight and Flexible Deployment
MetaDefender OT Security's deployment model allowed for site-specific implementations that could adapt to each facility's unique network architecture and security requirements. The lightweight agents and sensors minimized network overhead while providing comprehensive monitoring coverage.
With MetaDefender OT Security, we can now proactively monitor our BMS, UPS, and cooling systems from a single dashboard, which has significantly improved our operational efficiency and security posture. The flexible deployment model was crucial for our multi-site environment, and the support for legacy protocols meant we didn't have to replace working systems.
AnonymousData Center Operations Director
Measurable Impact
The implementation of MetaDefender OT Security delivered significant operational improvements across all facilities:
- Complete Asset Inventory: Gained clear visibility into OT infrastructure across all sites, uncovering previously unknown devices and building detailed asset databases.
- Reduced Manual Effort: Automated discovery and monitoring processes, eliminating time-consuming manual inventory tasks.
- Faster Incident Response: Centralized alerting and comprehensive device information, enabling rapid response to potential issues.
- Enhanced OT Security Posture: Strengthened defenses against operational disruptions and cyber threats — all without impacting uptime or daily operations.
From Blind Spots to Full Control: The Next Chapter in OT Security
With MetaDefender OT Security successfully deployed across their 18-facility network, the operator is now exploring additional capabilities in multi-layered defense with OPSWAT’s MetaDefender for OT & CPS Protection suite.
The success of the current implementation has positioned the company as a leader in OT security best practices within the Asia-Pacific data center market, while providing a competitive advantage in an increasingly security-conscious industry.
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