OT reliability and security: inventory, segment and recover
Connect asset ownership, network boundaries, backup evidence and incident response into a practical recovery plan.
The outcome is a documented recovery exercise for one system boundary. Start with ownership and consequences, then select a bounded test. Reading these guides does not authorize scanning, fault injection or production interruption.
1. Identify the recovery unit
Read brownfield asset inventory and adapt the asset worksheet. Record the process role, owner, model, installed revision and configuration location. Keep credentials in approved secret storage.
2. Draw the communication boundary
Read OT zones and conduits and industrial network topology. Draw required flows with endpoints and purpose. The subnet calculator helps check address plans but does not establish a security boundary by itself.
3. Prepare recoverable evidence
Read OT backup and restore testing. Define recovery time and recovery point objectives separately. Identify engineering software, licenses, device descriptions and compatible targets needed to use the backup.
4. Run an approved isolated restore exercise
Use the restore-test worksheet. Record exactly what was restored, the target, elapsed time, checks completed and limitations. Keep production communication isolated according to the approved exercise plan.
5. Connect recovery to operations
Read OT incident response and MTBF/MTTR boundaries. Assign owners for recovery gaps and distinguish hands-on repair from the full interruption to production.
Deliverable
A useful record names the system, backup revision, objectives, exercise result and remaining gaps. “Project opens offline” is narrower evidence than “service restored and validated.” Use that distinction in the handover and continue with FAT/SAT planning.