An inventory of OT assets provides an overview of the equipment present in an industrial environment. But this information remains limited if it is not complemented by details about their location, connections, purpose and level of exposure.
Mapping an OT environment means understanding how its assets fit into the industrial architecture and what risks are associated with them.
This visibility is useful when preparing network segmentation, identifying vulnerabilities, controlling access or prioritising cybersecurity actions.
The 7 Steps to Mapping Your OT Environment
In this article, discover how to:
- Identify the assets present in your OT environment,
- Understand how they communicate,
- Link assets to their level of criticality,
- Cross-reference assets with vulnerabilities,
- Map the access points that allow them to be reached,
- Take changes in the environment into account,
- Turn asset mapping into a cybersecurity tool.
1. Identify the assets present in the OT environment
The first step is to identify the equipment that makes up the industrial environment:
- PLCs and control systems,
- SCADA and HMI systems,
- Industrial servers,
- Engineering and maintenance workstations,
- Network equipment,
- Historian systems,
- Security equipment,
- Remote connections and access points.
But simply knowing the name of an asset is not enough. For each asset, it is useful to know its manufacturer, model, software or firmware version, function, location and the industrial zone it belongs to.
This information helps identify obsolete equipment, assets running unsupported versions and those requiring particular attention.
2. Understand how assets communicate
Two assets can be clearly identified without their relationship being properly documented.
Asset mapping should therefore highlight communications between assets:
- Who communicates with whom,
- Which protocol is used,
- From which zone,
- To which destination,
- How frequently,
- For what purpose.
This visibility helps identify dependencies between systems and detect communications that may no longer correspond to the current needs of the installation.
It also makes it possible to link assets, data flows and the different zones of the OT architecture, particularly when implementing a network segmentation strategy.
Read our article OT Network Segmentation: Where Should You Start? to learn more about this topic.
3. Link assets to their level of criticality
Not all OT assets have the same impact on production. A PLC controlling a critical stage of the production process does not have the same priority as a test device or an isolated system.
Asset mapping should therefore make it possible to link an asset’s technical characteristics to its role in the industrial process. Several factors can be taken into account:
- Criticality for production,
- Processes concerned,
- Dependencies on other systems,
- Available access paths,
- Level of exposure,
- Potential impact of an outage.
This context helps organisations better prioritise their cybersecurity actions.
4. Cross-reference assets with vulnerabilities
Once assets have been identified and contextualised, their characteristics can be compared with known vulnerabilities. A vulnerability does not have the same implications depending on whether it affects:
- An isolated device,
- A PLC connected to several systems,
- A server exposed to multiple zones,
- A critical asset whose shutdown would directly affect production.
The asset lifecycle should also be taken into account: software or firmware version, available support, end of sale and end of life.
The goal is therefore not simply to produce a list of CVEs, but to understand which vulnerabilities actually affect the assets in the environment and which ones should be addressed first.
Combining asset + version + connections + criticality + vulnerabilities + lifecycle provides a much more actionable view of risk.
5. Map access as well
An asset can be properly identified and still be difficult to secure if the access paths used to reach it are unknown.
Asset mapping should therefore also include access points such as:
- Maintenance teams,
- System integrators,
- Suppliers,
- Engineering workstations,
- IT/OT connections,
- Remote access,
- Privileged accounts.
For each access path, it should be possible to determine who can access what, from which environment and with which privileges.
This analysis helps identify access that should be restricted, better controlled or monitored.
6. Take changes in the environment into account
An OT asset map is only useful if it remains representative of the installation.
A new PLC, a production line modification, a server replacement, an update or the opening of a remote access path can change the environment.
Asset information must therefore be updated as the installation evolves.
The goal is not to create a map once. It is to maintain a reliable view of the environment over time.
This requires comparing available data with changes made to the installation and regularly checking that the representation of the environment still reflects operational reality.
7. Turn asset mapping into a cybersecurity tool
A complete asset map makes it possible to combine several layers of information:
Assets → connections → versions → criticality → vulnerabilities → access
This visibility can then support a range of industrial cybersecurity measures:
- OT network segmentation,
- Access control,
- Environment monitoring,
- Vulnerability management,
- Security of workstations and servers,
- Backup and recovery,
- Change management,
- Incident preparedness and response.
Asset mapping therefore becomes a common foundation for different security measures, rather than simply a technical inventory.
From visibility to action
Knowing your assets is a first step. Understanding their connections, criticality, vulnerabilities, lifecycle and access paths makes it possible to determine where to act and in what order.
B2C Engineering supports industrial companies in assessing and securing their OT environments, from asset and flow visibility to the implementation of appropriate protection measures.
Depending on the challenges identified, our teams work on network architecture and segmentation, access control, monitoring, vulnerability management, industrial environment protection, as well as system backup and versioning.
Does your team have a sufficiently accurate view of its assets, their connections and their level of exposure?
Discover our industrial cybersecurity expertise and the solutions we implement to secure OT environments.
FAQ
What is OT asset mapping?
What is the difference between OT asset inventory and asset mapping?
Why map industrial assets?
How can an OT asset map be kept up to date?
What should an OT asset map include?
Assess your needs with our experts
We work with you to structure, secure, and manage your industrial cybersecurity.
Together, we assess your needs and schedule a demonstration of the solutions.
Johan FOIREST
Business Development Engineer Cybersecurity OT
Email : jfoi@b2c-engineering.com