.png)
The OT Cyber Coalition welcomes Xona to join the diverse group of cybersecurity vendors dedicated to improving the cybersecurity of OT environments.
OTCC: Tell us a little about what Xona offers critical infrastructure owners and operators who want to secure their operations.
XONA: The Xona Platform is specifically designed to provide secure access to critical assets and systems including operational environments, such as energy, utilities, and manufacturing. The Xona Platform allows operators to grant secure access to internal users, remote workers, third-party vendors, and partners without compromising the security of their critical assets. It achieves this by isolating the users’ transient, untrusted endpoints, such as laptops, from the critical systems being accessed, ensuring that even if an endpoint is compromised, threats like ransomware cannot reach the critical infrastructure.
The platform is also highly practical, deploying in as little as 20 minutes with no need for network reconfigurations. This practical approach allows critical infrastructure operators to implement secure access quickly without disrupting ongoing operations. Additionally, the platform is built to align with key cybersecurity standards like NERC CIP and IEC 62443, helping organizations meet compliance requirements while maintaining secure, reliable access to operational technology.
OTCC: Why did your company decide to join a coalition with their competitors? Why is this so important?
XONA: Xona joined the OT Cyber Coalition because securing critical infrastructure is a collective challenge that requires collaboration across the industry. By working alongside other cybersecurity vendors and asset owner/operators, Xona can contribute to and benefit from shared knowledge, best practices, and advocacy efforts that advance the cybersecurity posture of critical infrastructure environments.
Joining the OT Cyber Coalition allows Xona to play an active role in shaping the future of OT cybersecurity, ensuring that standards and solutions are aligned with the needs of all critical infrastructure operators. It's important for Xona to be part of a coalition that prioritizes security across the industry, as it strengthens the broader effort to protect critical systems and assets from evolving cyber threats.
OTCC: What do you think is the top cybersecurity threat facing critical infrastructure owners and operators today?
XONA: One of the most significant cybersecurity threats facing critical infrastructure today is the growth in software supply chain attacks. These attacks exploit vulnerabilities in the software and hardware supply chain, often leveraging trusted third-party vendors to gain access to critical systems. As operational environments become more interconnected, the attack surface grows, increasing the risk of compromise.
To counter this threat, it's essential to implement a combination of strategies, including minimizing the attack surface by eliminating direct access from transient endpoints, such as through traditional VPNs. Additionally, adopting zero-trust best practices—where all users, devices, and connections are continuously verified—provides an added layer of defense. By securing access and reducing reliance on potentially vulnerable connections, critical infrastructure owners and operators can better protect their systems from software supply chain attacks and other emerging threats.
OTCC: What is the most critical step the federal government can take with critical infrastructure owners and operators to better secure their OT systems? What is the most critical step federal agencies who have operational technology can take to make those systems more secure?
XONA: The most critical step the federal government can take to better secure OT systems is to work with industry partners to harmonize cybersecurity regulations across national, state, and local agencies and critical infrastructure sectors. Consistent, clear guidelines would help infrastructure owners and operators implement cohesive security strategies, reducing confusion and ensuring that all sectors follow best practices aligned with modern cybersecurity frameworks, such as zero-trust.
For federal agencies with OT systems, adopting uniform security standards across departments is essential. Ensuring compliance with a single set of comprehensive cybersecurity protocols would streamline efforts to protect critical assets and foster greater collaboration between public and private sectors in securing the nation's most vital systems.
For more information on Xona, please visit: https://www.xonasystems.com/
For more updates from the OT Cyber Coalition, please follow on LinkedIn or X @OT_Coalition.
Comments