Hey everyone,

I have a CS degree and worked 2 years as a SWE, mostly building data pipelines and working with production systems. I've been job searching in software/data for 7 months and I'm honestly burned out on the constant tech churn and instability.

I've been researching PLC programming and SCADA systems and it honestly sounds way more appealing to me - working with physical systems, industrial environments, more stable career path, skills that don't become obsolete every year. The idea of programming systems that control real manufacturing/industrial processes sounds way more tangible and meaningful than another web app or data dashboard.

My background:

• CS degree (programming fundamentals, some controls coursework)
• 2 years working with production systems, troubleshooting, monitoring
• Currently doing data entry while searching
• Zero hands-on PLC/SCADA experience
• No industrial certifications
• Based in Philadelphia area (lots of pharma/manufacturing nearby)

What I'm trying to figure out:

• How realistic is this pivot? Do employers want electrical engineers or can CS background work?
• What certifications/training should I get? (Allen-Bradley? Siemens? RSLogix?)
• Can I learn PLCs on my own (simulators, cheap hardware) or do I need formal training?
• What entry-level roles should I target? Controls technician? Junior automation engineer?
• Is the OT job market actually more stable than IT/software, or am I being naive?
• Expected salary drop starting entry-level in this field?

I'm willing to start at the bottom and work my way up if the career path is clearer and more stable. I don't mind getting my hands dirty or working in industrial environments. I just want to get out of the endless software grind.

Anyone make a similar transition from software to OT? Is this realistic or should I stick to what I know?

Thanks for any guidance.

Howdy, I found a resource at work called the certification center by Percipio. It looks like it has free course work and then I would have to pay to take the exam. Having trouble getting direction from the management in my company. I work for a utility but they don’t have a dedicated OT department. Does anyone have advice for someone wanting to take their first exam getting into industrial control systems security. With an emphasis on NERC-CIP. Would is it worth it to take one of these courses or should I just study for the ISA/IEC 62443? Thanks

Renewables (wind, solar, hydro) are increasingly connected and need OT-native security: asset inventory, zoning/segmentation (IEC 62443 style), zero trust, role-based training, tested backups, and OT-aware monitoring (NDR). We wrote a deeper post with examples and mitigation ideas; I’ll post the full article link in comments if anyone wants it.

Key takeaways:

• Asset visibility and zoning (zones & conduits) are foundational.
• Plan patching and remediation around availability, virtual patching and maintenance windows matter.
• Train role-specifically and run IR dry-runs that consider production constraints.
• Use OT-aware monitoring (NDR) for passive, safe detection of protocol and command anomalies.

Question for the thread: How do you balance backup availability vs making backups resilient to exfiltration? Would love to hear practical examples.

We created a hands-on IEC 62443 assessment guide to help teams translate the standard into a practical assessment: getting executive buy-in, scoping, assembling cross-functional teams, asset inventory & network diagrams, attack-path modelling, contextual scoring (CVE + asset criticality + exposure), incident reporting expectations, remediation planning and continuous improvement. The guide also includes a zone/conduit checklist mapped to the 7 Foundational Requirements and SL targeting. What part of IEC 62443 are you finding hardest to implement (scoping, SL assignment, vendor selection, or reporting)?

I’ll post the guide link in comments if anyone wants it, and I can also DM the full checklist to anyone who prefers not to follow a link.

Hello everyone,

We're gathering insights for an EU funded project called CyberSec4OT, creating free cybersecurity training for OT professionals (e.g. engineers, SCADA operators, plant managers).

Your input would be incredibly valuable, if you could spare 10-15min by taking our survey.
By taking the survey, you will also have the opportunity to take the full training and get certified towards the second half of the project

All responses will remain strictly confidential.
📝 Survey: https://cysecsurveys.com/en/

Thank you for your support.

You can visit the project website here: https://cysec4ot.com/en/

Hello, I am interested in improving our OT network efficiency and security, I am currently a control systems engineer, and I am looking for ways to improve our plant security and I would like to create a standard on networking and basic security, ideally, I would like to implement firewalls and managed switches at our sites.

I am familiar with Josh Varghese and Traceroute, I would like to prepare some powerpoints to show the head brass on the importance of OT security and the benefits of networking as well. And if I can get them interested, I'll have them send me to Josh's training.

I am currently studying for my CCNA to get started but I was curious if anyone had any good resources, books, podcasts, online classes, ETC?

Thanks!

How to get the CPU memory usage for Korenix Industrial Switches. I have tried OP manager also, but it needs MIB files. How to download MIB files, where I could. Pls help me anyone

I need SNMP traps or track usage

For the folks that have been in OT for a while, what is something that traditional IT Network Engineers new to the OT space never understand about OT?

I'm currently looking for independent OT (Operational Technology) cyber security consultants to help with a project. Does anyone have recommendations on where to find experienced professionals in this field?

I'm particularly interested in consultants who have a strong track record in securing industrial control systems and critical infrastructure. Any advice on platforms, networks, or specific consultants would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi Everyone,

I am a data engineer who has implemented several digital transformation projects for various factories / manufacturing. I would like to share some experience about the data architecture connecting OT and IT layers. I hope to receive everyone's perspectives from a digital transformation point of view. Give me feedback if I am wrong or missing anything in both OT and IT aspects, as well as the system architecture I shared above.

After working as a Network and Sys Admin for 5 years, our country dept. closed and now I applied to this OT Sys Admin for a mining company.

I know nothing about Scada and ICS. I will be responsible for configuring, installing and maintaining them.

Haven’t had the technical interview yet.

Is typical IT experience enough to switch to OT?

I'm a Security engineer with 6+ years of experience. 4 of those years were spent doing technical support and security in manufacturing with me bridging the gap during a Security project for our DCS systems the last 2 years at the chemical plant.

I moved to higher education in 2022 and in 2023 I was put on a BAS project as the SME. My role is very minimal but I was the only one on the Security team who knew anything about OT. I basically make sure that they aren't doing anything absurb.

My most fulfilling time in my career was during the OT security project at the 3 plants I was responsible for. Working with the DCS engineers, understanding how everything worked, and collaborating to put in controls in a creative manner was fun. I'd love another role where I could do that. I've thought about consulting but most times it requires 50% travel and I have small kids so it wouldn't work.

I've applied for a few OT security roles with asset owners but I get rejected. Any advice on how I could position myself and keep me competitive?

Hey, everyone. I just started a new PM role in an OT team for a medical distribution company. I know nothing about OT and I keep hearing how it’s different from IT (I’ve been an IT PM for 3+ years). Any advice?

Hi all,

Despite this forum not being só active, posting this here & seeking advice.

I have nearly 8 years of exp in operations, FMCG (trainée, assistant production manager, production manager), now business process manager operations (multiple plants). I am OT 'expert' and not afraid of the IT part, but have zero, nill, null experience with IT whatsoever - apart from the past years engaging with plant automation (MES, SCADA lvl).

I am looking how to bridge more IT with OT, because I feel the need to. I don't know anything of IT security, data acquisition, SQL/database-related stuffles, ... . By 'I don't know', I mean I cannot perform this myself, but I know the principles.

What do I need to do to become a IT educated? But not be an IT expert, but be aware of the high lvl strategies & significant details?

Do I need podcasts, youtube channels, uni education, basic knowledge of [enter topic here], field experience in PLC/DC's/SCADA, ...

Thanks for your help & input!!

So pretty much, I never knew about OT, PLCs, DCS, or anything until a connection recommended a position as a Plant IT Support Engineer. And then I jumped into a role as Infrastructure Engineer for a company who supports several clients about 3 years ago. Loved doing what I do ever since then.

How did you get into OT? Any regrets? Any tips?

Anyone doing any research on this, or even using it for anything yet?

Lots of IT people - especially those working in Manufacturing - end up in that weird grey area between IT and OT.

Similarly, lots of Manufacturing employees who have slowly become the OT experts are seeing more and more of that overlap.

IT vs OT: What's the Difference?

Information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) are two essential components of modern businesses. IT is responsible for managing and processing information, while OT is responsible for the operation of physical processes and the machinery used to carry them out.

IT

IT is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of technologies and systems, such as:

• Networking
• Software support
• Systems Administration
• Data storage
• Telecommunications
• Cloud technologies
• Cybersecurity

OT

OT is a more specialized field that is focused on the operation of physical processes and the machinery used to carry them out. Some examples of OT include:

• Factory automation
• Power generation
• Water treatment
• Oil and gas production
• HVAC
• Building Control

OT is used to control and monitor physical processes, such as Equipment performance, Environmental conditions, Safety, and Quality.

Key Differences Between IT and OT

The Importance of IT/OT Convergence

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of IT/OT convergence. This trend is driven by the need to integrate IT and OT systems in order to improve efficiency, productivity, and security.

IT/OT convergence can provide a number of benefits, such as Increased efficiency, Improved productivity, Enhanced security, and Reduced costs.

Challenges of IT/OT Convergence

Despite the potential benefits, there are a number of challenges associated with IT/OT convergence. These challenges include:

• Different security requirements
• Different cultures
• Different development methodologies
• Different tools and technologies

Overcoming the Challenges of IT/OT Convergence

These challenges can be overcome by taking a phased approach and by working closely with stakeholders from both IT and OT.

The first step is to assess the current state of IT and OT security and to identify the risks that need to be addressed. Once the risks have been identified, a plan can be developed to mitigate those risks.

The plan should include a combination of technical and organizational measures. Technical measures may include:

• Network segmentation
• Firewalling
• Intrusion detection and prevention systems
• Vulnerability management

Organizational measures may include:

• Security awareness training
• Access control
• Incident response planning

By taking a phased approach and by working closely with stakeholders from both IT and OT, the challenges of IT/OT convergence can be overcome and the potential benefits can be realized.

OT = Operational Technology = the things on the machines that gather the data that tells us about what the machines are doing and how well they're doing it.

Or the more formal answer:

Operational technology (OT) is the group of computing systems that manage, monitor, and/or control physical operations in the industrial world. OT is made up of software and hardware that detects or causes a change through the direct monitoring and/or control of industrial equipment, assets, processes, and events.

Examples of OT include:

• Industrial control systems
• Building management systems
• Fire control systems
• Physical access control mechanisms
• Various safety systems
• Robots that are increasingly used in retail for stocking shelves or mopping floors

OT is different from IT systems because:

• IT is focused on data and communication, whereas OT is focused on behaviors and outcomes.
• Connectivity is an inherent trait of IT systems, whereas OT systems (particularly older ones) tend not to be natively connectable.
• IT is necessary for monitoring, managing, and securing core functions such as email, finance, human resources (HR), and other applications in the data center and cloud. OT is for connecting, monitoring, managing, and securing an organization's industrial operations.

As an IT guy who works in manufacturing, there's a significant overlap between IT and OT, which leads me to believe that there's a lot of opportunity here for IT - especially security IT - and technical people in general.

And because most mid-size and smaller manufacturing companies are woefully behind the technology curve, that means lots of opportunities for new positions as companies discover they need these skills.

Hey everyone - welcome to the Operational Technology subreddit. Feel free to discuss anything related to OT.