OT Cybersecurity and Network Design
Protect your plant-floor operations and ensure regulatory compliance with purpose-built industrial networks. ELCON Technologies designs, integrates, and secures OT architectures – from fiber optics to secure VPNs – keeping your processes safely isolated from online vulnerabilities.
Facilities need industrial cybersecurity services with industrial-grade data management—not general computing services—and a partner they can trust to keep operations running and audits clean.
The Struggles of Industrial Network Security
Plants are more connected now than ever, but your network shouldn’t just be approached like standard business IT. OT systems operate differently than standard systems and carry different risks and problems, such as:
❌ Internet dangers – Tying OT network design to the open internet or internal corporate networks can create massive security and operational risks, making your system vulnerable
❌ Expensive downtime and fines – Downtime can be a costly burden for any kind of operation, but when network security fails in municipal environments or other key sectors it can lead to significant fines
❌ Strict audit demands – Many operations require strict audit trails and data historization to verify batch consistency and other aspects, and public domain systems must meet Homeland Security-type protocols
The bottom line: Facilities need industrial cybersecurity services with industrial-grade data management, not general computing services, and they need a partner they can trust.
ELCON’s Operational Technology Security Solutions
Complete Industrial Network Design and Architecture
Our expert team handles both the physical and logical network build from the ground up, ensuring your OT cybersecurity doesn’t miss a beat. Key services include:
✓ Full Ethernet and fiber optic network design
✓ Switch installation
✓ Bandwidth calculations
✓ Comprehensive cable/fiber patching schedules
Plus, our robust networking infrastructure capabilities include implementations that feature redundant hub-and-spoke networks, Rockwell Stratix Fiber Rings, and seamless integrations of protocols like ProfiBus, Modbus TCP, Ethernet/IP, and BACnet.
Get In Touch
Reach out using the form below or call us at 412-822-8250.
Uncompromising OT Network Security and Isolation
We protect your network architecture with built-in switch-level security protocols, and our core philosophy is based on strict separation. Operational plant systems are kept completely separate from the open internet, any corporate databases, and office systems.
⚠️ Why isolation matters: Connecting plant systems to the open internet exposes critical processes to threats they were never designed to withstand. Separation keeps production safe even when the business network isn’t.
Secure Remote Access and Wireless Connectivity
Modern organizations need remote visibility to stay fully operational, especially when employees are visiting different sites across large distances. ELCON systems:
- Use 4G cellular, Starlink satellite options, and ISP integration for expansive remote sites
- Employ connectivity via private channels and secure VPN tunneling rather than the open internet
- Facilitate easy predictive maintenance, load shedding, and secure equipment monitoring
Ultimately, our “remote first” OT network design allows secure monitoring and troubleshooting of machinery without having to send out a technician.
Why ELCON
Industrial network security affects your entire operations, so you need a partner who can oversee all aspects and supply timely solutions to problems. Our team can provide:
Integrated SCADA, Power, and Turnkey Expertise
We seamlessly integrate automation, electrical power (up to 15KV), and complete turnkey implementation. We design and build control panels within our 20,000-square-foot, UL508A- and UL698-certified facility while performing field installations, making us your single-source provider for complex infrastructure projects.
Systems Built for Strict Compliance Environments
Our team is experienced in working with diverse sectors to ensure compliance is maintained.
| Sector | How ELCON Delivers Compliance |
|---|---|
| Municipal | Largest provider in the Pittsburgh region; uses Rockwell Data Historian for strict audit trails |
| Petrochemical | Holds UL698 certification for hazardous locations, NEMA 4X ratings, and arc flash designs |
| Power Generation | Supplies plant-wide SCADA monitoring for switchgear and emergency generators |
Comprehensive Planning and Implementation
We evaluate how clients want to manage their data, their staff’s technical capabilities, through a proven, end-to-end process.
| 1 | Evaluate how clients want to manage their data, their staff’s technical capabilities, their backup protocols, and existing system separation. |
| 2 | Oversee functional specifications, then handle the physical patching, fiber terminations, and hardware integration. |
| 3 | Perform in-house string and loop testing of electrical and mechanical components prior to deployment. |
| 4 | Supply 24/7 support and troubleshooting via secure VPN monitoring post-installation. |
FAQs on Operational Technology Security
Can you network remote or rural sites that lack standard internet access?
Yes, we deploy a variety of wireless connectivity solutions for a variety of topographies, including 4G cellular networks, Starlink satellite options, and secure VPN tunneling. This is often used in municipal water projects to securely connect remote pump stations back to a main control center.
Are your network designs compliant with public infrastructure and environmental regulations?
Absolutely. We design OT networks that meet stringent protocols, including Homeland Security guidance and DEP regulations for municipal environments. We also integrate ISA-95 Level 2 and 3 data systems and historians to ensure you maintain the secure, centralized audit trails required for regulatory compliance.