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Founder and Principal Analyst

Zeus Kerravala

Zeus Kerravala is a prominent figure in the technology industry, widely recognized as the Founder and Principal Analyst at ZK Research. With an impressive career spanning decades, he has established himself as an authority in the realm of tech analysis and market insights. Kerravala's profound expertise extends across various domains, including network transformation, cloud computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and digital innovation.

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Contributor Brief·Zeus Kerravala · 2 articles
Updated Sep 8, 2023

IT-OT convergence creates security blind spots traditional defenses cannot address

Kerravala argues that the merger of Information Technology and Operational Technology systems has fundamentally broken the traditional security model, and that top-tier technologies alone can no longer protect against the new class of vulnerabilities this convergence creates. Organizations must completely reassess their security strategy—not incrementally patch it—because the attack surface has expanded beyond what legacy defenses were architected to handle.

2

distinct security frameworks now required by converged IT-OT environments

The antiquated strategy of top notch technologies for security is no longer sufficient.

The Convergence of IT and OT Systems (software & technology)

Security vulnerability categories exposed by IT-OT convergence

Legacy OT systems integrated without IT security controls9
Traditional IT defenses fail against operational network attacks8
Expanded attack surface from device interconnection8
Critical infrastructure dependencies on unified systems9

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26%Legacy OT
Legacy OT systems integrated without IT security controls
Traditional IT defenses fail against operational network attacks
Expanded attack surface from device interconnection
Critical infrastructure dependencies on unified systems

unprecedented

scale of operational efficiency gains and corresponding security risks from convergence

Merging IT and OT systems exposes critical security gaps that traditional defenses cannot protect against alone.

The Convergence of IT and OT Systems (pro av)

Digital transformation's promise of efficiency becomes a liability without complete security reassessment.

The Convergence of IT and OT Systems (software & technology)

Pandora's box of vulnerabilities now attracts hackers at operational scale.

Themes:IT-OT convergence creates blind spots in traditional security architectureLegacy technology-first security strategies are insufficient for merged environmentsOperational efficiency gains demand complete strategic security reassessment, not incremental fixes

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