Securing critical infrastructure has never been more urgent. The FBI reported that over 40% of ransomware attacks in 2023 targeted critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, water, transportation, healthcare, communications, and financial services. Additionally, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have warned about escalating cyber threats from state-sponsored actors and other malicious entities.
A notable example is last year’s attack on American Water. While details remain undisclosed, speculation suggests a ransomware attack impacted customer portals and billing systems. Fortunately, operational water systems remained unaffected. This incident underscores the urgency of implementing Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA) that focuses on controlling and monitoring privileged access, where the greatest damage can occur.
The Growing IT & OT Security Risks
Traditionally, IT and OT operated separately. IT focuses on data management, while OT controls industrial equipment, assets, and processes, including SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), Industrial Control Systems (ICS), and Distributed Control Systems (DCS). Think of OT as devices that control the physical world (power grids, machinery, pipelines).
Historically, OT systems were closed, accessible only via secure terminals. However, Industry 4.0 and IoT advancements have connected OT systems with sensors, big data, and analytics. As a result, remote workers, contractors, third-party partners and now automation or AI workloads now require access to both IT and OT environments, increasing the attack surface.
This convergence has expanded the attack surface. Cybercriminals increasingly target privileged credentials—admin accounts, service accounts, and automation jobs to bypass traditional controls, modify configurations, disable safeguards, or disrupt essential services. For critical infrastructure operators, a single compromised privileged identity can have outsized consequences.
Securing critical infrastructure through robust cybersecurity strategies is more important than ever!
Zero Trust and Privileged Access Management
Zero Trust assumes no user, system, or workload is inherently trustworthy and requires continuous verification for every access request. While technologies like IAM, MFA, and network controls are important, they do not fully address the most dangerous question: what happens when privileged access is abused or compromised?
Privileged Access Management (PAM) is the control that directly answers this question.
Attackers don’t need broad network access to cause harm—one stolen admin credential or exposed service account can be enough to shut down systems, manipulate operations, or evade detection. PAM reduces this risk by eliminating standing privileges, brokering access without exposing credentials, enforcing least-privilege policies, and monitoring privileged activity in real time.
For critical infrastructure organizations, PAM provides the ability to detect misuse quickly, intervene during live sessions, and maintain accountability across both human and non-human identities—even when other defenses fail.
10 Best Practices for Securing Critical Infrastructure
When it comes to securing critical infrastructure, managers need to evaluate their risk and build a strategy focused on zero trust principles. Begin with these 10 best practice tips:
- Assume Breach and Minimize Impact – Operate as if a breach has already occurred. Use identity isolation, data encryption, and real-time threat analysis to detect and respond quickly.
- Inventory Privileged Identities – Identify all privileged users, service accounts, automation jobs, and machine identities across IT and OT environments.
- Eliminate Standing Privileges – Replace always-on admin access with just-in-time, time-bound access approved by policy.
- Increase OT System Visibility – Implement monitoring tools to track industrial control systems and quickly isolate security incidents.
- Secure IoT and Machine Passwords – While companies have strict password and credential policies for users, they don’t always apply to servers, applications, and IoT devices. Enforce strong authentication for IoT devices by storing privileged credentials in a secure vault and rotate them automatically to reduce exposure.
- Leverage IAM Solutions – Implement MFA, SSO, PAM, and IAM to ensure only verified users access segmented areas.
- Apply Least-Privilege Policies – Grant only the access required for a specific task, system, or time window.
- Maintain Audit-Ready Visibility – Capture every privileged action with detailed logs and reports to support investigations and compliance requirements.
- Secure Third-Party Access – Contractors and vendors often introduce risk. Enforce strict, session-recorded access for third parties without giving them a VPN slice or direct network access.
- Back Up Critical Systems – Maintain secure backups to restore operations quickly in case of ransomware attacks.
The 12Port Agentless Advantage
12Port delivers modern, agentless Privileged Access Management purpose-built for critical infrastructure. In OT environments where installing software agents is often impossible or risky, 12Port provides a secure, non-intrusive way to manage access.
With rapid deployment, centralized credential vaulting, just-in-time access, and real-time session intelligence, 12Port helps organizations prevent privilege abuse, detect threats early, and maintain continuous control over high-risk access.
Designed to integrate seamlessly with existing identity platforms and security tools, 12Port provides the visibility and enforcement needed to support Zero Trust initiatives, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience.
Download a free trial or schedule a personalized demo to see how 12Port Agentless PAM helps secure critical infrastructure and fortify your zero trust strategy.