Roundtable: Build an OT Security Model for Utilities

Utilities operate some of the most safety‑critical and continuously running operational technology environments in the economy. Electric, water, and gas systems must balance reliability, public safety, and regulatory compliance while operating infrastructure that cannot be easily shut down for maintenance or security changes. As a result, many operational technology (OT) security controls that appear effective on paper introduce unacceptable operational risk when applied in live environments.

This roundtable focuses on how utility leaders can design an OT security model that is resilient under continuous operations constraints. Rather than framing OT security as a control‑deployment or compliance exercise, the session examines how security decisions must be shaped by operational consequence. The discussion centers on determining which security controls are nonnegotiable, which are conditional based on operational risk, and which are infeasible in safety‑critical contexts.