The frustrating reality for defenders responding to cyberattacks on operational technology (OT) systems is all too familiar: no data, no trail, and no history to sort through. This is because OT environments produce little useful security telemetry, making it difficult to investigate and respond to attacks. However, a growing number of organizations are turning to cyber deception as a proactive tool to combat these challenges.
The problem lies in the fact that OT systems were not designed with security in mind. They produce few logs or forensics, making it nearly impossible for defenders to track an attacker’s movements after they reach the OT network. In contrast, IT environments typically provide a wealth of information about user activity, login attempts, and process executions. But when an attack pivots from IT to OT, the available data suddenly dries up.
This lack of visibility can make it nearly impossible for defenders to determine where attackers are coming from or what they’re trying to achieve. Even when logs exist, they may be retained locally, overwritten quickly, or written in formats that don’t map cleanly to normal security analytics. As a result, signature-based tools and log analytics systems often fail to detect the attacker, leaving defenders with no trail to follow.
Cyber deception is changing this landscape. By creating fake assets, credentials, and devices within the OT environment, organizations can create a decoy system that mimics real-world targets. Attackers will inevitably try to exploit these fake assets, providing defenders with valuable insights into their tactics and techniques. But cyber deception does more than just detect attacks – it also provides a cross-domain view of the attack path from IT to OT.
By connecting the dots between IT and OT systems, organizations can gain a better understanding of how attackers move through their networks and what they’re trying to achieve. This is critical in today’s threat landscape, where attackers often exploit vulnerabilities across multiple domains to reach their operational objectives. Cyber deception helps defenders stay one step ahead by providing real-time alerts and forensic data that can be used to track an attacker’s movements.
So, what does this mean for organizations looking to improve their OT security? It means adopting a proactive approach to defense, rather than relying solely on reactive measures like signature-based detection. By incorporating cyber deception into their threat hunting strategies, organizations can gain the visibility and insights they need to stay ahead of attackers. Whether it’s detecting lateral movement or identifying potential attack vectors, cyber deception is an essential tool in any OT security arsenal.
In practical terms, this means that defenders should start thinking about how to create fake assets and decoy systems within their OT environments. This can involve setting up fake devices, credentials, and network diagrams that mimic real-world targets. The goal is to create a system that looks so convincing that attackers will be drawn in, providing valuable insights into their tactics and techniques.
By taking this proactive approach, organizations can gain the visibility they need to stay ahead of attackers and protect their OT systems from harm. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, one thing is clear: cyber deception is no longer just a tool for IT – it’s essential for any organization looking to secure its operational technology assets.
Source: Dark Reading — 2026-08-28