OT Red Team Assessment
Know Before You Build
Before you invest in integrating IT and OT signals into unified security and productivity, you need to know where your defenses stand against real adversaries. An OT pen test finds issues. An OT Red Team Assessment validates resilience.
We test your environment the way nation-state actors and ransomware groups do, giving you the intelligence to build a security posture that actually protects operations.
What You Get
Real Adversarial View
See how an attacker would infiltrate your organization. We map attack paths, exploit interdependencies, and show you exactly where defenses fail under real-world conditions.
Actionable Roadmap
Get a concrete plan to improve your security resilience. Prioritized recommendations based on risk, impact, and operational continuity—not just compliance checklists.
OT Engagement & Buy-In
Experts who bring OT teams into the conversation and make them active participants. We bridge IT and OT, ensuring security decisions respect process safety and operational reality.
The Danger Behind The Dashboard
Operational Technology (OT) networks, from manufacturing lines to transportation systems, are now fully exposed to modern cyber threats. While many organizations invest heavily in IT security, OT environments remain under-tested, under-monitored, and over-trusted.
The convergence of IT and OT has created unprecedented attack surfaces. Nation-state actors, ransomware groups, and insider threats are actively targeting industrial control systems—and traditional security approaches aren't designed to protect them.
Here's the challenge:
OT Red Team Assessment Methodology
Every assessment is designed to emulate the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of real-world adversaries, from nation-state APTs to ransomware groups, without disrupting production.
Reconnaissance
& Research
Network
Topology
Mapping
Vulnerability
Identification
Attack Path
Simulation
Protocol
Exploitation
Testing
Auxiliary
System
Assessment
Reporting &
Recommendations
OT Pen Testing vs. Red Team Assessments
| Category | OT Penetration Test | OT Red Team Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Identify technical vulnerabilities in devices, networks, and systems | Emulate real-world attackers (APTs, ransomware, insiders) to expose weaknesses in people, processes, and technology |
| Scope | Focused on known assets and systems within a defined boundary | Holistic. Spans IT, OT, and human vectors to test end-to-end operational resilience |
| Methodology | Static, checklist-driven testing using predefined scripts and tools | Multi-phase, intelligence-led simulation using reconnaissance, lateral movement modeling, and protocol exploitation |
| Realism | Controlled test conditions — limited operational realism | Realistic attack paths validated against live telemetry, ensuring zero disruption to operations |
| Output | Technical report of vulnerabilities and recommendations | Contextual, correlated intelligence showing how and why attacks succeed, with prioritized mitigation actions |
| Value to the Business | Improves system hygiene | Strengthens business resilience, validates detection and response, and supports compliance alignment |
Frequently Asked Questions
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An OT (Operational Technology) Red Team Assessment is a simulated cyberattack on industrial systems that tests real-world vulnerabilities in manufacturing, energy, or critical infrastructure environments, without disrupting operations.
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Unlike standard pen tests focused on IT networks, OT assessments examine industrial control systems (ICS), PLCs, and SCADA environments, using tactics that mimic nation-state or ransomware actors while ensuring zero downtime.
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PhishCloud's CFC integrates IT and OT telemetry, correlates red team findings with real-time data, and uses AI-driven models to predict attack paths and operational impacts, turning raw technical findings into actionable business intelligence.
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Commonly exploited protocols include Modbus/TCP, S7COMM, SNMP, and BACnet, all of which often lack encryption, authentication, and modern security controls.
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Yes. PhishCloud's methodology uses passive traffic analysis, hybrid simulation, and safe attack emulation to uncover risks without taking systems offline or interrupting critical processes.
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Compliance frameworks like NIST 800-82 or ISA/IEC 62443 provide guidelines but don't test real adversarial behavior. OT Red Team Assessments validate actual exploitability and lateral movement potential between IT and OT networks.
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It translates cyber risk into operational and financial terms, helping executives prioritize remediation based on impact to production, safety, and continuity, not just technical severity.
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Findings often include default PLC credentials, unencrypted communications, flat network topologies, serial-to-Ethernet adapter exploits, and insecure management interfaces such as SNMP or Telnet.
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Every assessment concludes with a prioritized report that maps vulnerabilities to business risk, validates them against live telemetry, and aligns remediation with compliance and audit frameworks.
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Best practice recommends conducting OT Red Team exercises annually or after major system changes, followed by continuous improvement cycles using Cyber Fusion Center telemetry for ongoing validation.