The expansion of industrial networks—incorporating everything from engineering workstations and historians to third-party vendor platforms—has created a complex web of potential vulnerabilities. According to Knud Kegel, CTPO at Secomea, the modern threat landscape requires a move away from passive connectivity toward a model where every session is strictly authenticated, authorized, and auditable. Organizations currently face heightened risks from unmanaged third-party connections, weak authentication protocols, and a general lack of visibility into who is accessing their production environments.

Secomea advocates for implementing robust access controls, including multi-factor authentication, role-based permissions, and network segmentation. Rather than restricting connectivity, the company argues that manufacturers should focus on making every remote connection intentional and visible. By transforming access points into central security controls, industrial operators can facilitate faster troubleshooting and maintenance while simultaneously safeguarding against unauthorized intrusion and ensuring regulatory compliance.