OT Security Gaps Persist Amid Rising AI Adoption

Honeywell's latest report on operational technology (OT) security highlights a stark contrast between industrial organizations' self-assessment of their OT security programs and their actual preparedness. The 2026 OT Cybersecurity Benchmark Report, which surveyed 603 leaders across various critical infrastructure sectors, found that while 88% of respondents considered their OT security programs mature or design-led, only 21% maintained a complete inventory of their OT assets.

The report also shed light on the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in OT security. A whopping 99% of respondents anticipate AI to significantly affect OT security operations within the next two to three years. Already, 72% of respondents use AI for threat detection, 68% for continuous monitoring, and 59% for asset inventory.

However, despite the increasing reliance on AI, only 23% of organizations currently utilize autonomous or agentic AI for threat detection. This suggests that most deployments so far rely on human analysts rather than autonomous systems. The report warns that as AI moves towards taking action, organizations will need clear decision rights, human oversight, and testing to ensure operational consequences are accounted for.