Secure connectivity principles for operational technology (OT)

Summary

The UK national centre’s guidance, developed with the agencies of Australia, Canada, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and New Zealand, helps OT system owners design, review and secure connections to and within their plants, which are growing with remote operation, remote supplier maintenance and cloud. It sets out eight principles: balance the risks and opportunities of each connection, limit exposure, centralise and standardise connections, use standardised and secure protocols, harden the OT boundary, limit the impact of compromise, log and monitor all connectivity, and establish an isolation plan. They are design goals rather than a minimum compliance checklist, and apply to both new and existing systems.

Information

Jurisdiction

United Kingdom

Issuing body

National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)

Type

Guideline / framework / standard

Available languages

English

Topics

• OT and cyber-physical systems (ICS/SCADA)
• Critical infrastructure

Notes

Joint guidance also co-sealed by agencies of other allied countries.

National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). (2026). Secure connectivity principles for operational technology (OT). https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/operational-technology/secure-connectivity

National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). "Secure connectivity principles for operational technology (OT)." January 2026. https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/operational-technology/secure-connectivity.

@misc{gb_ncsc_secure_connectivity_principles_operational_technology_2026,
  author       = {{National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)}},
  title        = {{Secure connectivity principles for operational technology (OT)}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/operational-technology/secure-connectivity},
  urldate      = {2026-10-29}
}