Honeywell Report Exposes Alarming Gap in Operational Technology Cybersecurity Readiness

A recent report from Honeywell Technologies reveals a concerning gap in operational technology (OT) cybersecurity readiness among organizations. The survey, which polled over 600 leaders responsible for cybersecurity risk, compliance, and operations across critical infrastructure sectors, found that while 88% of respondents described their OT cybersecurity programs as mature, only 21% had a complete inventory of their OT assets.

The consequences of this visibility gap can be severe. Organizations reported an average of 16.2 hours of downtime from their most significant cybersecurity incidents, with losses reaching up to $500,000 per hour. The report's findings highlight the need for greater integration between OT environments and broader cybersecurity operations. Currently, only 33% of organizations have fully integrated OT into a centralized security operations center.

The report also notes that artificial intelligence is adding another layer of urgency to the issue. Nearly all respondents (99%) expect AI to affect OT security within the next two to three years, yet only 23% currently use autonomous or agentic operations for threat detection.