--- title: "OT vs IT Security: The Real Differences That Matter" description: "How OT security differs from IT security: inverted priority ranking, decade long lifecycles, deterministic networks and why recovery drives every design…" lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization", "name": "Firevault", "legalName": "Firevault Limited", "url": "https://fire-vault.com", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/logo.png", "width": 200, "height": 60 }, "foundingDate": "2025-03", "description": "Firevault has rewritten the rules for data protection & storage via its offline secure storage (OSS) platform, for users to vault everything that matters.", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressCountry": "GB", "addressLocality": "United Kingdom" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "contactType": "customer service", "email": "hello@fire-vault.com", "availableLanguage": "English", "areaServed": "GB" } ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/firevault", "https://x.com/firevaultuk" ], "slogan": "Disconnect to Protect", "knowsAbout": [ "Offline Secure Storage", "Physical Air Gap Data Protection", "Ransomware Protection", "Data Sovereignty", "GDPR Compliance", "NIS2 Compliance" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#website", "name": "Firevault", "alternateName": [ "Firevault", "Firevault UK", "Firevault Limited" ], "url": "https://fire-vault.com", "publisher": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization" }, "inLanguage": "en-GB", "description": "Firevault has rewritten the rules for data protection & storage via its offline secure storage (OSS) platform, for users to vault everything that matters.", "potentialAction": { "@type": "SearchAction", "target": { "@type": "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate": "https://fire-vault.com/learn?q={search_term_string}" }, "query-input": "required name=search_term_string" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/learn/ot-vs-it-security#webpage", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/learn/ot-vs-it-security", "name": "OT vs IT Security: The Real Differences That Matter", "description": "How OT security differs from IT security: inverted priority ranking, decade long lifecycles, deterministic networks and why recovery drives every design…", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#website" }, "about": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/images/og/og-base-learn.jpg" }, "inLanguage": "en-GB", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/learn/ot-vs-it-security#breadcrumb" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/learn/ot-vs-it-security#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://fire-vault.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Learn", "item": "https://fire-vault.com/learn" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "OT vs IT Security: The Real Differences That Matter", "item": "https://fire-vault.com/learn/ot-vs-it-security" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the difference between IT and OT security?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "IT security protects information: it prioritises confidentiality, then integrity, then availability. OT security protects industrial processes: it prioritises availability, then integrity, then confidentiality. The inversion changes almost every design decision, from how systems are patched to how backups are architected and restored." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is OT security part of cyber security?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. OT security is a specialist domain within cyber security that focuses on operational technology and industrial control systems. It shares tooling and concepts with IT security, but its priority ranking, lifecycle assumptions and network engineering constraints are different enough that it is treated as a distinct discipline." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can IT security tools be used on OT networks?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Sometimes, but rarely as-is. Standard IT tools often assume they can add latency, drop packets or push agents to hosts. OT networks run deterministic protocols where any of those actions can affect safety. IT tools deployed into OT usually require passive collection, engineered network taps and careful validation." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why is backup architecture different for OT?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Because recovery is a first order requirement, not a fallback. OT estates need a known good copy that can be restored quickly, often at a site with constrained bandwidth, and that survives when the enterprise domain has been compromised. That is exactly what a physical air gap like Firevault Offline Secure Storage provides, layered under whatever operational backup tooling is already in place." } } ] } ] --- Recent Breaches Breaches [2026 PowerSchool 62.4M records ](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com)[2026 DISA Global Solutions 3.3M records ](https://techcrunch.com)[2026 Globe Life 850K records ](https://www.securityweek.com)[2026 Lidl GB Customer contact data ](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/11/lidl-gb-third-party-data-breach)[2026 Asahi Group Production systems disrupted ](https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/asahi-says-cyberattack-disrupted-operations-japan-2025-09-29/)[2026 Kido International 8K records ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c623d7v0e5xo)[2026 Collins Aerospace (RTX) Check-in and boarding disruptio... ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c789e7l1z7po)[2026 Jaguar Land Rover Production and IT systems disru... ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2gx8p3rzeo)[2026 Peter Green Chilled Order and logistics data ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0k7yy8n3g5o)[2026 Adidas UK Customer contact details ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78jkev1el2o)[2026 PowerSchool 62.4M records ](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com)[2026 DISA Global Solutions 3.3M records ](https://techcrunch.com)[2026 Globe Life 850K records ](https://www.securityweek.com)[2026 Lidl GB Customer contact data ](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/11/lidl-gb-third-party-data-breach)[2026 Asahi Group Production systems disrupted ](https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/asahi-says-cyberattack-disrupted-operations-japan-2025-09-29/)[2026 Kido International 8K records ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c623d7v0e5xo)[2026 Collins Aerospace (RTX) Check-in and boarding disruptio... ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c789e7l1z7po)[2026 Jaguar Land Rover Production and IT systems disru... ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2gx8p3rzeo)[2026 Peter Green Chilled Order and logistics data ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0k7yy8n3g5o)[2026 Adidas UK Customer contact details ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78jkev1el2o) [View All →](/learn/breaches) [![Firevault - offline secure storage, physically disconnected from the internet](/assets/logo-color-DBVl0KCg.png)](/) Products Solutions [Why OSS](/why-oss) More [Help](/help)[Get started](/get-started) Why OSS # OT vs IT Security Same word, different discipline. Four differences that decide how you segment, patch, monitor and recover on an industrial estate. Book a demo ![Corridor of offline storage racks inside a Firevault bunker](/assets/hero-square-bunker-BC9Flanh.jpg) R5.2 Where they diverge ## Four Differences That Change Every Decision Priority ranking, lifecycle, network engineering and recovery all pull OT security away from the IT security playbook. 01 Availability vs confidentiality ### Priority ranking is inverted IT security ranks confidentiality first, then integrity, then availability. OT security inverts that: availability comes first because an unavailable plant is a safety event, then integrity of the process, then confidentiality. Every downstream decision, from patching to backup, follows from that inversion. - IT: confidentiality first - OT: availability first - Safety drives the ranking 02 OT kit outlives IT kit by an order of magnitude ### Lifecycles are decades, not quarters IT kit refreshes on a three to five year cycle. OT kit runs for fifteen, twenty or thirty years, on operating systems that were current when it was installed. That means unpatched systems, legacy protocols and a much larger attack surface for anything that reaches the plant floor. - OT lifecycles measured in decades - Legacy operating systems - Cannot be patched on the IT cadence 03 Deterministic protocols, not best effort ### Networks are engineered, not managed OT networks run deterministic industrial protocols and are engineered for predictable timing and safety. Introducing an IT security control that adds latency or drops packets can trigger a safety event. This is why standard IT tooling often cannot be deployed inside an OT estate without careful redesign. - Deterministic industrial protocols - Latency is a safety concern - IT tooling rarely fits as-is 04 Restore, not just detect ### Recovery is a first order requirement IT security invests heavily in detection and response because the outcome of a compromise is often data loss. OT security must invest in recovery because the outcome is production loss and potential safety impact. A verified, offline gold copy that can be restored quickly is the anchor of any credible OT recovery plan. - Detection is necessary but not sufficient - Recovery drives design - Offline gold copy is the anchor Continue reading on the pillar guide and the definitional overview. [OT and ICS security pillar guide](/learn/ot-ics-security-air-gap-storage) [What is OT security](/learn/what-is-ot-security) [Physical air gap for ransomware protection](/learn/physical-air-gap-ransomware-protection) Questions ## OT vs IT Security, Common Questions Straight answers on how Offline Secure Storage® behaves in practice. ### What is the difference between IT and OT security? ### Is OT security part of cyber security? ### Can IT security tools be used on OT networks? ### Why is backup architecture different for OT? ![Mark Fermor](/assets/mark-fermor-C-vy1NeN.jpg) ![David Bailey](/assets/david-bailey-CnLw95Ao.jpg) ![Kenny Phipps](/assets/kenny-phipps-DxIqwaIL.jpg) Online Now Concierge ## Bring the offline gold copy into your OT plan Talk to the Firevault team about a physically disconnected copy of your OT gold data, isolated from the domain that ransomware compromises first. Takes about 2 minutes. No account needed. Find Out Free 2 mins No sign-up