The battlefront for cybersecurity has shifted. It’s no longer just about protecting centralized plants—true risk now lies at the operational edge. Think remote substations, far-flung water treatment facilities, and temporary mining operations. Once considered safe due to their isolation, these environments are now prime targets for cyberattacks.
The numbers tell a sobering story. Ransomware incidents in the industrial sector are climbing fast—up 87% year over year—and attacks are no longer isolated. A single breach can now disrupt hundreds of sites simultaneously. As cyber threats grow in sophistication and impact, organizations must rethink how they secure the most vulnerable parts of their infrastructure.
Let’s break down the five core challenges of securing remote industrial locations—and how a purpose-built solution like Cygnet, Insane Cyber’s Flyaway Kit, helps organizations regain control where it’s needed most.
1. The Visibility Gap: Flying Blind at the Edge
Remote sites are notoriously opaque. Legacy systems, shadow devices, and disconnected assets often leave security teams in the dark. Without a clear asset inventory or insight into internal traffic patterns, these environments are dangerously unmonitored.
Cygnet’s Answer: Instant, passive asset discovery—no disruption, no guesswork. Deployed on-site, Cygnet builds a real-time map of every device, connection, and protocol. Combined with Insane Cyber’s Valkyrie engine, it turns once-invisible environments into actionable intelligence hubs.
2. Connectivity Challenges: When the Air Gap Works Against You
The traditional air gap—once thought of as OT’s strongest defense—has quietly eroded. Cloud integrations, USB file transfers, and vendor laptops have all introduced new vulnerabilities. And in many remote settings, there’s simply no stable network connection to support conventional monitoring.
Cygnet’s Answer: Full autonomy. Cygnet operates without internet access, collecting and analyzing data locally. With high-end hardware in a compact form factor, it enables continuous monitoring—even in air-gapped or low-bandwidth environments. Optional LTE connectivity allows critical alerts to be sent when connections are available.
3. Delayed Response: Security Expertise is Too Far Away
Incident response times in remote sites are painfully slow. A qualified OT cybersecurity expert could be hundreds of miles—and hours of travel—away. That delay can mean the difference between containment and catastrophe.
Cygnet’s Answer: Rapid deployment, immediate insight. Designed to be carry-on ready and operational within an hour, Cygnet empowers field teams to start investigations fast. It also enables a “fly the data to the expert” model: field techs deploy the kit, and remote analysts receive complete host and network data to guide the response.
4. Unpatchable Systems: Legacy Tech You Can’t Touch
Patch management—a staple of IT security—is often impractical in OT. Legacy systems may be unsupported, validated against strict standards, or simply too sensitive to update. But leaving them exposed is a growing liability.
Cygnet’s Answer: Real-time threat detection for the unpatchable. Cygnet and Valkyrie work together to monitor for signs of known vulnerabilities being exploited, without requiring risky software changes. This compensating control gives organizations a safer, smarter way to protect aging infrastructure.
5. Cultural Divide: When IT and OT Don’t Speak the Same Language
Security success hinges not just on technology, but on teamwork. Unfortunately, IT and OT teams often operate from different playbooks—with conflicting priorities and little shared understanding. This gap becomes especially pronounced during high-stress incidents.
Cygnet’s Answer: A shared data platform that builds trust. With non-intrusive monitoring and detailed host/network correlation, Cygnet creates a common operational picture. It bridges the communication gap and allows IT security analysts and OT engineers to collaborate using the same verified data—without disrupting operations.
>>Download the Cygnet Spec Sheet
A Unified Platform for an Unforgiving Landscape
The challenges at the industrial edge aren’t going away—they’re getting more complex. Visibility gaps, connectivity issues, response delays, legacy lock-ins, and organizational silos create a perfect storm of risk. But these issues are not insurmountable.
Cygnet provides a scalable, strategic response. It extends the reach of your security operations, reduces the burden on scarce resources, and ensures even your most remote environments are accounted for, protected, and understood.
It’s time to stop reacting—and start securing with foresight. Contact Insane Cyber to see how Cygnet can redefine what’s possible in OT cybersecurity.
