AppGate is bringing Zero Trust Network Access to operational technology environments with the launch of Secure Remote Access for Industrial OT, announced at RSAC 2026. The product extends AppGate’s direct-routed ZTNA architecture into industrial control systems, manufacturing plants, energy facilities, and critical infrastructure, where remote access has historically been one of the hardest security problems to solve without disrupting operations.

The product is built around a few core principles that matter specifically to OT environments. Infrastructure cloaking keeps assets invisible to unauthorized users by default, applying a default-deny posture that reduces the attack surface without requiring changes to the underlying control systems. Connections are direct-routed and fully encrypted on-premises, which preserves air gaps that many OT environments rely on for isolation. Third-party access controls address one of the persistent pain points in industrial security: contractors and vendors who need temporary, scoped access to sensitive systems.

AppGate has aligned the product with the major regulatory and standards frameworks that OT operators work within: IEC 62443 for industrial cybersecurity, NIST SP 800-82 for securing industrial control systems, and NERC CIP-015-1, which applies to bulk electric system cyber systems. That alignment matters in regulated industries where compliance is a buying criteria alongside security effectiveness.

The ZTNA approach is a meaningful shift for OT environments that have traditionally relied on VPNs or air gaps alone for remote access security. VPNs grant broad network access once authenticated, which creates lateral movement risk if credentials are compromised. ZTNA limits access to specific resources for specific sessions, reducing blast radius considerably.

Secure Remote Access for Industrial OT is generally available now.