Emerging industrial protocols can put operational technology (OT) at risk when they add communication paths or functions without security controls suited to the way a facility uses them. The risk is not that a protocol is new by definition: it depends on its available and enabled security features, its implementation, and where it sits in the operating environment. No particular protocol family is identified here, so the guidance below applies to industrial connectivity generally.
Why industrial protocol changes matter to OT
OT comprises programmable systems and devices that interact with the physical environment, or manage devices that do. That includes technology involved in monitoring or controlling industrial processes. A change in how these systems communicate can therefore affect more than data exchange: it can alter the paths through which control-related information moves and the security decisions needed to protect it.
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IEC’s PAS 62443-1-6:2025, published December 19, 2025, says the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) introduces new communication channels and a new organization of functions, along with new cybersecurity concerns. It provides guidance for applying the IEC 62443 series to new or existing IIoT in automation solutions. The document is a Publicly Available Specification; IEC says PAS documents are automatically withdrawn after four years.
How a protocol can create risk without being inherently unsafe
A protocol defines how systems communicate, but security depends on the capabilities provided by a particular protocol and on how they are implemented and configured. A 2026 joint paper by FieldComm Group, ODVA, OPC Foundation, and PROFIBUS & PROFINET International says many industrial deployments lack built-in authentication, authorization, integrity, and confidentiality mechanisms. In such cases, a deployment may depend more heavily on controls around the protocol, such as network isolation and carefully restricted data paths.
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The same paper notes that some Ethernet-based protocols offer enhanced security profiles. Their existence does not mean those profiles are enabled in a given installation, nor that one protocol family is safest in every setting. A sound assessment asks what the actual implementation supports and uses, what systems it connects, and what the process requires for performance, reliability, and safety.
For application developers, protocol-level security is not a complete application or site security plan. IEC 62541-2:2026, the OPC UA security model published February 12, 2026, focuses on protecting data exchanged between applications. It also says developers must consider other application security concerns, while deployment choices depend on implementation and site security.
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How to secure industrial protocols in an OT network
Use a risk-based sequence: establish what is present, evaluate the real security features, then control where communication can flow. NCSC’s OT secure-connectivity guidance recommends restricting industrial control protocols such as Modbus, OPC DA, and EtherNet/IP to isolated OT network segments. For exchanges between OT and IT, it recommends using a demilitarized zone (DMZ) and secure, standardized protocols such as OPC UA over TLS, MQTT over TLS, or HTTPS.
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- Inventory protocols and communication paths. Identify the systems using each protocol, what they communicate with, and whether traffic crosses between OT and IT. Include legacy and newly introduced connections in the same view.
- Assess the implementation, not just the protocol name. Check which security functions are supported and actually enabled, including authentication, authorization, integrity, and confidentiality protections. Consider interoperability and the operational consequences of changing configuration or replacing a communication method.
- Restrict network placement and access. Keep industrial control protocols within isolated OT segments where feasible. Limit permitted communication to the systems and paths required for operation rather than allowing broad reachability.
- Broker OT/IT exchanges through a DMZ. Avoid direct, unrestricted communication between OT and IT. Use a DMZ and secure, standardized protocols for exchanges, while validating that the chosen implementation and configuration fit the site’s security requirements.
- Document exceptions and plan migration. Where an insecure protocol must remain, record why it is needed and the compensating controls that constrain its risk. NCSC states: “Where your organisation has insecure industrial protocols in use, you should establish a roadmap for migration to secure industrial protocol variants.” Its Principle 4 guidance was published January 14, 2026.
Why migration must account for safety and reliability
Replacing or reconfiguring an industrial communication method can affect interoperability, timing, availability, and process behavior. A security change that disrupts a safety-critical or reliability-sensitive operation can create its own operational hazard. Evaluate migration in the context of the process, validate changes before deployment where practicable, and coordinate with the teams responsible for operating and maintaining the affected systems.
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NIST’s SP 800-82 Rev. 4 initial public draft, dated September 21, 2026, frames OT security around distinctive performance, reliability, and safety requirements. It is a draft, not a final edition; comments are due November 30, 2026. Those constraints are central to choosing and deploying controls, not reasons to leave communication paths unassessed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who should own protocol security over time
Protocol security is a lifecycle responsibility shared across an industrial system’s stakeholders. ISA describes the ISA/IEC 62443 approach as risk-based and lifecycle-oriented, with responsibilities distributed among asset owners, product suppliers, system integrators, and service suppliers. That division matters when a control depends on both a product’s capabilities and the way a site configures, connects, and maintains it.
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For each protocol and connection, make ownership clear for risk assessment, configuration, network rules, exception approval, monitoring, and migration planning. Revisit the assessment when systems, communication paths, or operational requirements change; an earlier approval does not establish that a later deployment is secure.
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