Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity: How IT/OT convergence and AI are changing security architectures
IoT Analytics, Tuesday, January 20th, 2026
While industrial executives often cite AI and IT/OT convergence as the most promising future developments, these technologies create new and complex cyber attack surfaces.
IoT Analytics' 49-page OT Cybersecurity Insights Report 2026 identifies several trends related to IT/OT convergence and AI integration affecting OT security, with 5 discussed in this article:
- The shift to hybrid (central-decentral) security architecture
- The rise of zero trust microsegmentation
- The enduring criticality of firewalls in IT/OT convergence
- AI's growing role in OT security
- The new focus on securing AI workloads in OT
Why it matters
For cybersecurity vendors: With OT cybersecurity increasing in importance, cybersecurity companies need to keep up with current trends and align their offerings accordingly to remain competitive.
For enterprises: While IT/OT convergence and AI integration into OT come with many benefits, they also widen the cyber attack surface. Understanding current trends can help companies assess their cyber posture and consider appropriate OT cybersecurity solutions.