When it comes to Operational Technology (OT), the stakes are higher than ever. The systems that power our factories, water plants, and energy grids are being scanned and probed around the clock — not just by human hackers, but by AI-driven bots capable of finding and exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in minutes.
For years, organizations have tried to patch their way out of danger.
That era is over.
This webinar kicks off BlastWave’s Defensible Architecture Webinar Series, where we explore how to build OT environments that can’t just withstand attacks — but prevent them entirely.
Every solid defense starts with visibility.
If you don’t know what’s on your network, you can’t protect it — and you don’t even know whether that thing should be there.
In the early days, OT networks relied on true air gaps — completely isolated systems that didn’t talk to the outside world. That’s no longer possible. The modern OT environment is connected, complex, and full of devices from multiple generations.
I’ve seen environments running equipment from the 1970s alongside brand-new IIoT devices installed last month. Some systems still rely on Windows 98 — in active production. These can’t be patched, and many shouldn’t be touched at all.
If your cybersecurity strategy relies on patching, you’ve already lost.
Even if you patch religiously, you’re still vulnerable.
Zero-day exploits are being discovered faster than ever — and AI is supercharging the process.
A recent IBM report showed that when ChatGPT was given the description of a new vulnerability, it could generate a working exploit 87% of the time. That means as soon as a CVE is published, threat actors can weaponize it within hours.
And don’t assume your security tools are immune. In the past few months alone, we’ve seen major vulnerabilities disclosed in F5’s Big-IP software and multiple firewall vendors. Even the tools meant to protect you are targets.
If you’re visible on the internet, you will be found.
For example, ForScout ran a fake “water treatment plant” honeypot online for 90 days. It wasn’t advertised anywhere — yet it was scanned 11 times per minute.
A Russian hacker group even bragged about breaching it, not realizing it wasn’t real.
So if you think, “We’re not a target,” think again.
In OT, downtime isn’t just inconvenient — it’s catastrophic.
Rebooting an email server might delay a few messages.
Rebooting a furnace, turbine, or nuclear system could cost millions or worse, put lives at risk.
Every minute of lost production can cost $500,000 or more. That’s why “failure is not an option” isn’t just a movie quote — it’s operational reality.
But here’s the problem: many legacy OT systems are so fragile that even scanning them can cause failures. I’ve seen old PLCs reboot just from being pinged.
That’s why we can’t rely on traditional IT tools and methods.
We need a new playbook.
Before you can defend your network, you need to know exactly what’s connected.
Some organizations still track devices with spreadsheets — painful, but effective if disciplined. Others use tools like Dragos, Nozomi, ForScout, Armis, or Phosphorus to automatically discover assets.
At BlastWave, we integrate directly with these tools. You can import device inventories through CSV, API, or manual entry, and instantly associate each device with its site, gateway, and group.
That’s how one of our oil and gas customers onboarded 20,000 new devices in 30 days after an acquisition — fully secured within their existing policy framework.
Here’s the turning point.
Instead of just identifying assets and patching vulnerabilities… what if hackers couldn’t even find your network?
That’s the idea behind Network Cloaking, BlastWave’s breakthrough approach to OT protection.
Cloaking makes your entire network invisible to unauthorized users and scanners — whether human or AI. There’s no downtime, no re-IPing, no firewall reboots. Your systems stay operational while the attack surface disappears.
BlastWave creates a virtual air gap — both internally and externally — without physically unplugging anything.
That means devices can communicate only with the specific controllers or systems they require, Site A remains isolated from Site B unless explicitly permitted, and even if malware enters through a USB device, it’s unable to spread laterally across the network.
We achieve this using both Layer 3 and Layer 2 overlays, acting like a software-defined network (SDN) that enforces segmentation at every level.
And unlike VPNs or firewalls, access isn’t tied to IP addresses or subnets — it’s tied to identity.
Only authenticated, authorized users or devices can see or connect to anything.
Most OT malware doesn’t just infect — it communicates.
That’s why true defense requires controlling egress (outbound) traffic.
By default, BlastWave blocks all outbound connections, including DNS, unless explicitly approved by policy.
No device should be able to “phone home” unless you say so.
That’s how we stop ransomware from activating and data from exfiltrating.
Here’s the bottom line:
Automated attacks don’t stop, and they don’t sleep.
Most of today’s reconnaissance, credential stuffing, and exploitation is done without human involvement. Hackers deploy bots, and AI does the rest — until it’s time to collect ransom.
You can’t patch faster than AI can probe.
But you can make AI find nothing.
That’s the power of invisibility.
BlastWave doesn’t just monitor or detect — we prevent.
When attackers (or their AI) try to scan your network, they see nothing.
No open ports. No ping responses. No way in.
That’s a defensible architecture.
Building a defensible OT architecture starts with one simple truth:
You can’t defend what you don’t understand, and you can’t protect what’s exposed.
Visibility, segmentation, cloaking, and egress control — these are the cornerstones of a modern, resilient OT defense.
If you’re ready to see how to make your network invisible — and invincible — reach out to us at:
https://www.blastwave.com/schedule-a-demo
Q: What is a “Defensible Architecture”?
A defensible architecture is a network design that prioritizes prevention over detection. It integrates principles from the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and SANS Critical Controls to reduce the attack surface, enforce segmentation, and block unauthorized access.
Q: Why doesn’t patching work for OT systems?
Many OT systems run legacy software that can’t be updated or restarted without disrupting operations. Even when patches are available, zero-day exploits appear faster than organizations can deploy fixes.
Q: What is “Network Cloaking”?
Network cloaking is BlastWave’s technology that hides OT assets from external and internal reconnaissance. It makes your devices invisible to unauthorized scans, creating a virtual air gap that prevents attacks before they start.
Q: How is this different from traditional firewalls or VPNs?
Firewalls and VPNs still expose IP addresses and require complex rule management. BlastWave replaces those with identity-based access control and single-packet authentication — meaning no unauthorized entity even knows your network exists.
Q: Can AI-driven attacks really be stopped?
Yes — not by outsmarting them, but by denying them visibility. AI tools can’t exploit what they can’t find. That’s why invisibility, not detection, is the ultimate defense.
Getting started with BlastShield is easy and free. Follow the three steps below and get up and running fast.
%20(1).svg)
Create a Free Trial
Account
.svg)
Download the BlastShield Authenticator & Client
.svg)
Make Your Host Invisible
In Minutes
.svg)
