Majority of Critical Infrastructure Firms Unable to Monitor Operational Technology Assets in Real Time

A Palo Alto Networks survey of over 1,600 security leaders across critical infrastructure organizations in 11 countries found that 68% cannot maintain complete real-time visibility of their operational technology assets. The widespread gap in asset monitoring represents a significant vulnerability for organizations managing essential services and systems. The finding underscores the ongoing challenge that critical infrastructure operators face in maintaining comprehensive security oversight of their networked devices.

The Palo Alto Networks survey encompassed security decision-makers from five distinct critical infrastructure sectors operating across 11 geographies, providing broad geographic and sectoral representation. Beyond visibility challenges, the research identified additional concerning trends: nearly half of respondents identified legacy systems that cannot receive security patches as their primary risk concern, while the vast majority expressed apprehension about emerging artificial intelligence-based attack vectors. The findings also revealed that breach incidents remain common, with approximately six in ten organizations reporting significant security compromises within the preceding year.