A VPN places the remote user on the OT network, granting access to everything behind the VPN gateway, the same access a physical insider would have. Zero Trust remote access (like BlastShield Client) grants access only to specific authorized assets on a per-session basis. If a VPN credential is compromised, the attacker has OT network access. If a BlastShield session is somehow intercepted, the attacker gains nothing; there are no credentials to steal, and the session is cryptographically bound to a specific device and user.

Yes. BlastShield Client supports self-service contractor onboarding. An authorized administrator creates a scoped access policy that limits the contractor to specific OT assets, generates an invitation, and the contractor installs the Client and Authenticator app. The entire process takes minutes and requires no IT helpdesk involvement, no VPN account provisioning, and no corporate identity provider enrollment.

Yes. BlastShield Client is transparent to OT applications. It establishes encrypted network tunnels at the OS level; your OT tools (Rockwell Studio 5000, Siemens TIA Portal, ABB, Schneider, Wonderware, FactoryTalk, etc.) see a regular network connection to their target devices. No application wrappers, no protocol translation, no browser proxies required.

BlastShield Client significantly limits blast radius even in a laptop-compromise scenario. The compromised device can only access OT assets authorized for that specific user, not the entire OT network. Additionally, the BlastShield Authenticator requires physical biometric authentication on the engineer's mobile device for each session. An attacker who controls the engineer's laptop cannot initiate a new session without also possessing the engineer's phone and biometric data.