Securing legacy OT systems poses significant challenges as these aging systems lack modern cybersecurity features. Organisations may overcome these difficulties by implementing strategies that strike a compromise between improved security and the constraints of the current infrastructure. As we spoke about challenges in securing legacy OT systems in our previous article, here are some strategies to address these challenges we have seen in securing legacy OT systems:

1. Performing risk assessments include locating, assessing, and ranking the threats to legacy OT systems. Organisations may create and put into effect plans to reduce those risks and enhance system security. Regular risk analyses assist in proactive vulnerability management and security enhancement.
2. System hardening for old OT systems entails putting security measures in place, such as firewalls and access restrictions, as well as removing unused services and vulnerable protocols. Hardening reduces the attack surface and improves security and is vital to minimise unforeseen consequences.
3. Implementing data backups and recovery plans involves regularly backing up critical data, testing procedures, and monitoring status. Data recovery is made possible in the event of loss or corruption through secure storage and frequent testing. Having redundant backup systems adds an additional degree of security.
4. Plans for disaster recovery are essential for protecting OT systems that handle vital corporate processes to ensure company continuity and lessen the effects of interruptions. Organisations may create a strategy to identify crucial data and systems, restore them in the event of a catastrophe, and set procedures.