IT/OT Convergence Explained: Drivers, Risks, and Real-World Examples

TRUE IT/OT CONVERGENCE STARTS WITH PROTECTING THE PROCESS, THEN UNLOCKING DATA YOU CAN TRUST 

When people talk about IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operational Technology) convergence, they often focus on dashboards and analytics. Those are useful, but they are not the hard part. The hard part is how office IT and control systems meet without creating hidden paths that slow work or increase risk. This article explains what convergence is, why it is accelerating, the traps that cause incidents, and the patterns that make convergence calm and repeatable. 

Why This Matters Right Now

Leaders want real-time visibility. Vendors work remotely. Auditors and insurers expect evidence, not promises. Without a plan, small IT changes can ripple into production. With a plan, connections stay safe, ownership is clear, and recovery is faster when something breaks.

Most teams start with a brief network assessment to align on assets, data flows, and remote access. That shared picture keeps early decisions targeted and non-disruptive.

Bottom Line: Convergence should happen in steps that prioritize the process, then share trusted data on your terms.

What IT/OT Convergence Actually Means 

Plain definition: Bringing information technology and operational technology closer together so the right production data reaches the right people and systems in near real time, without adding safety or downtime risk. 

What it is not: It is not putting everything on the same network. It is not turning every control device into a cloud client. It is not a new buzzword for “connect all the things.” 

A simple picture: Think in zones and conduits. IT lives in an office zone. Controls live in an operations zone. A neutral zone sits between them. Only documented conduits move data across the boundaries. Each conduit has a purpose, an owner, and written rules. 

With the picture in mind, you can spot the common ways convergence goes wrong. 

The Three Failure Paths We See Most

1. Flat networks where office and control traffic mix

Why it fails: One compromised workstation or cloud-connected app can reach PLCs and HMIs that were never meant to see external traffic.

What it looks like: Accounting and engineering laptops share the same subnet. A packaging line controller responds to pings from the front office. A “temporary” rule in a firewall still allows IT systems to browse OT directories.

How we usually spot it: During the first Network Assessment walk and data-flow sketch, when we trace ERP or MES traffic directly into control VLANs.

What helps: Segment into clear zones, business, neutral (DMZ), and operations, then allow only documented conduits that serve a verified process or data requirement.

2. Unmanaged vendor remote access 

Why it fails: Shared accounts, always-on tunnels, and unmonitored remote tools make it impossible to verify who accessed a system or what changed.

What it looks like: An OEM using TeamViewer to “quickly check a setting,” a systems integrator with an open VPN that bypasses IT review, or a contractor’s desktop left logged in for weeks because “they’ll need it again soon.”

How we usually spot it: When comparing active remote connections against service tickets or vendor contracts, we find more tunnels than approved jobs.

What helps: Require all vendor access to pass through a managed jump host with multifactor authentication, time-boxed approvals, named identities, and session recording. No shared credentials. No persistent tunnels.

3. Shadow integrations that bypass change control

Why it fails: Well-intentioned engineers create “quick” connections for visibility or testing that sit outside security monitoring and ownership.

What it looks like: A line supervisor’s dashboard pulling live tag data to a cloud service, a historian still syncing to an old analytics tenant, or a predictive maintenance sensor posting data through guest Wi-Fi.

How we usually spot it: During tag and API reviews, where we uncover undocumented service accounts, orphaned credentials, or live cloud calls no one owns.

What helps: Use a simple intake for any new data flow, one owner, one approval, one documented conduit. Review them quarterly to confirm they’re still needed and properly secured.

Real-World Examples

Example A: Patch Tuesday shuts down packaging

During a routine IT patch cycle, a Windows update changed SMB behavior overnight. A legacy engineering share that bridged the business and controls networks began flooding the line PLC with file calls. By 7 a.m., packaging screens froze and production stalled.

Fix: Segment the environment into zones, remove the shared drive, and establish a one-way conduit through a neutral zone for scheduled data transfers. The plant regained stability, and IT could resume patching without risking uptime.

Example B: Vendor access tunnel left open

A systems integrator supporting a grain-handling facility used a remote access tool for maintenance. After the project ended, the session remained active — and the reused credentials were compromised elsewhere. The attacker gained quiet access for several weeks before network monitoring flagged unusual traffic.

Fix: Centralize vendor access through a jump host with multifactor authentication, named accounts, and time-boxed approvals. Sessions are recorded and expire automatically after task completion. Vendors gained faster, auditable access; security teams gained confidence and evidence.

A short story: From risky to reliable in 30 days 

On a Monday morning, a regional manufacturer with three facilities called about “random HMI freezes” and a vendor who “still needs quick access.” Production was unpredictable, and both IT and operations were frustrated.

Koltiv began with a focused Network Assessment to bring everyone together around a single view of reality. Then we guided a four-week sprint designed to deliver visible progress while restoring confidence across teams.

Week 1 – See the truth

We walked the floor and documented every engineering workstation, PLC, HMI, historian, and vendor tunnel. We mapped the five data flows leadership actually relied on. Two blind spots emerged immediately: a legacy file share bridging office and controls, and a vendor remote tool that stayed active after support ended.

Week 2 – Close the gaps without slowing production

We isolated the file share, removed shared accounts, and enforced multifactor authentication for any connection into the control network. Operations continued without disruption, and IT gained a verified map of every legitimate conduit.

Week 3 – Give vendors a safe, repeatable lane

We built a secure jump host in a neutral zone tied to approvals, named identities, and recorded sessions. At first, vendors thought the process would slow them down. Within days, they saw faster access approvals and fewer login issues.

Week 4 – Prove recovery and build lasting visibility

We restored a PLC from backup on a test bench and documented the full process and timing. We implemented passive, protocol-aware monitoring to alert on unauthorized commands without touching the live environment.

By day thirty, the client had:

• Clear separation between business IT and plant controls
• A managed and auditable vendor access process
• Verified backups with proof of restoration
• Real-time visibility into network behavior
• Shared understanding across leadership, IT, and operations
• The HMI freezes stopped once the hidden share and lingering tunnels were removed. More importantly, leadership gained the confidence that every connection, vendor, and recovery step was documented and defensible.

Where Koltiv delivered value beyond the fix

We created alignment between IT, OT, and leadership through a shared language of risk and recovery.

• We replaced ad hoc responses with a repeatable framework that scales across plants and vendors.
• We turned technical data into business clarity with reporting leaders could understand and act on.
• We built resilience into daily operations so teams can change, patch, and grow safely.

The client didn’t just regain uptime. They gained visibility, accountability, and peace of mind knowing their systems were stable, their people were aligned, and their process was protected.

Where This Goes Next...

Stability is only the start. The real payoff comes when short-term fixes become lasting control. In the following article, we cover how to turn week-one wins into a steady operating system for IT and OT:

• Governance and ownership so every conduit, asset group, and vendor has a clear owner.

• Continuous visibility across sites so you plan maintenance instead of reacting to noise.

• Evidence for auditors and insurers that proves access, segmentation, and restores.

• Room to modernize safely with analytics, sensors, and cloud reporting.

Read next: Phase Two: Building on the IT/OT Foundation

If you want to talk through your specific environment, request a call below, and we will map out 2 or 3 quick wins to start.