How to choose the right CPS Protection Platform for your manufacturing floor

Connected machines, edge computing, and cloud analytics are driving productivity and visibility across plants. At the same time, they are expanding the attack surface across industrial environments. To support you in evaluating options, we developed a practical guide to choosing a CPS Protection Platform.

Inside the guide you will find:

• What is a CPS Protection Platform and why it matters for modern manufacturing
• Why traditional remote access methods are falling short in today's OT threat landscape
• How to evaluate platforms across seven critical areas including security, integration, analytics, AI, and vendor support
• A detailed checklist you can use to compare platforms side by side
  

Who this guide is for

• IT and OT managers responsible for enterprise security, compliance, and infrastructure strategy
  
  
• Engineering and technical leaders driving digital transformation and data initiatives
  
  
• Plant operations teams focused on uptime, efficiency, and consistent quality
  

Each audience will find practical evaluation criteria and structured guidance tailored to their role.

Why CPS Protection Platforms matter now

Cyber-Physical Systems sit at the intersection of operational technology and digital infrastructure, connecting machines, sensors, and controllers to the cloud and remote users. That connectivity drives productivity, but it also introduces risk.

Manufacturing has been the most targeted industry for three consecutive years, and the tools most plants rely on, black boxes, direct VPNs, and cellular modems, were never designed to manage that exposure. They lack the centralized visibility, auditing, and policy control that IT and OT teams now require. A dedicated CPS Protection Platform is how leading manufacturers are closing that gap.

Choosing the right platform

With many options in the market, knowing what to evaluate is half the battle. The guide breaks down seven critical areas:

1. Enhanced security features such as segmentation, encryption, authentication, and threat detection
2. Integration with existing IT and OT security infrastructure
3. Secure data collection and analytics for IIoT and predictive maintenance
   
4. CPS intelligence and AI integration at the edge and in the cloud
5. Middleware and integration with enterprise systems and analytics platforms
6. Ease of use and centralized management for IT and OT teams
7. Vendor support, ecosystem, and long-term platform viability

Each area includes a detailed breakdown and a checklist you can use to compare vendors side by side.