Secure the
Factory Floor
Protect operational technology without disrupting production. CtrlLayer bridges the OT/IT security gap with controls built for manufacturing realities.
OT/IT Convergence — Secured
Industry 4.0 demands connected factories. Connected factories demand security that understands the difference between a trading workstation and a PLC programming terminal. CtrlLayer does.
The Convergence Challenge
Traditional IT security tools treat every endpoint the same. But a SCADA workstation running a 15-year-old HMI application has fundamentally different requirements than an office laptop. Rebooting a domain controller is inconvenient. Rebooting a batch process controller mid-run can cost six figures in ruined product.
CtrlLayer's lightweight agent was designed to operate on sensitive OT workstations without requiring reboots for installation, consuming excessive resources, or interfering with real-time process control communications.
Legacy System Reality
Manufacturing environments commonly run Windows 7, Windows XP, and even Windows 2000 on critical HMI terminals. These systems cannot be upgraded because the industrial software they run has no modern equivalent — or because the equipment vendor no longer exists.
CtrlLayer's agent supports legacy Windows environments, providing modern security controls to systems that traditional EDR solutions have abandoned. Privilege management, USB control, and network monitoring — even on end-of-life operating systems.
SCADA/HMI Workstation Protection
The workstations that program and monitor your production equipment are your most critical — and often your most vulnerable — endpoints.
Elevation for Maintenance Software
PLC programming environments (Siemens TIA Portal, Rockwell Studio 5000, Mitsubishi GX Works) require administrative privileges. CtrlLayer provides just-in-time elevation for these specific applications without granting blanket admin access to the underlying workstation. Engineers get what they need. The attack surface stays minimal.
CMMS Integration
Computerized Maintenance Management Systems like SAP PM, Maximo, and Fiix often need elevated access for work order processing and asset management. CtrlLayer policy rules can auto-elevate approved CMMS applications based on user role and shift schedule — maintenance technicians get seamless access during their assigned shifts.
Change Control Enforcement
IEC 62443 and ISA-99 frameworks require strict change management on OT systems. CtrlLayer's audit trail captures every elevation event, software installation, and configuration change on SCADA workstations. Who changed what PLC program, when, and from which terminal — all recorded with cryptographic integrity.
Anti-Tampering
The CtrlLayer agent cannot be stopped, disabled, or uninstalled without server-side authorization. Even with local admin rights (which should not exist), the agent persists. Critical for OT environments where a disgruntled operator or compromised account could attempt to disable security controls before making unauthorized process changes.
Network Segmentation Monitoring
The Purdue Model defines clear boundaries between enterprise IT (Levels 4-5), the DMZ (Level 3.5), site operations (Level 3), area control (Level 2), basic control (Level 1), and the physical process (Level 0). CtrlLayer monitors endpoint network behavior to verify these boundaries hold.
- Detect unauthorized cross-level communications that violate your Purdue Model architecture
- Alert on IT-to-OT traffic that bypasses the industrial DMZ
- Identify rogue devices connecting to OT network segments via monitored workstations
- Monitor for anomalous protocols (e.g., Modbus/TCP, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET) appearing on IT segments
- Baseline normal communication patterns and alert on deviations — the first sign of lateral movement
USB Control for Firmware Updates
USB drives are the most common vector for malware introduction into air-gapped and semi-isolated OT networks. But they are also essential for firmware updates, data historians, and recipe transfers.
Safe Data Extraction
Allow data to be read from USB devices without permitting writes. Ideal for importing firmware update files or PLC programs from approved media while preventing exfiltration of process data, recipes, or proprietary manufacturing parameters.
Hardware Whitelisting
Restrict USB access to specific approved device serial numbers. Issue company-owned, encrypted USB drives to maintenance staff and block everything else. Eliminates the risk of personal drives introducing malware from home networks into OT environments.
Complete Lockdown
Disable all USB mass storage on critical SCADA/HMI terminals. Network-based firmware update workflows replace USB-based processes. Any attempt to connect a USB storage device is logged, blocked, and alerted to the security team.
Supply Chain Security
Equipment vendors, system integrators, and maintenance contractors regularly need access to OT workstations. That access is necessary — and dangerous. The 2013 Target breach started with an HVAC contractor. The 2021 Oldsmar water treatment attack exploited remote access software.
- Vendor-specific elevation policies: limited to approved applications, time-bounded, and fully audited
- No persistent credentials — vendor sessions expire automatically after the maintenance window
- Network monitoring detects if vendor sessions attempt to communicate with unauthorized destinations
- Complete audit trail of every vendor action for regulatory compliance and incident investigation
- Multi-tenant architecture allows OEMs to manage their own technician access under your security policies
Shift-Based Access Policies
Manufacturing runs on shifts. Your security policies should too.
Day Shift
Full production team access. Operators can run HMI applications. Maintenance technicians can access PLC programming environments. Quality engineers can pull data from historians. All within their defined role boundaries.
Swing Shift
Reduced maintenance access — only emergency PLC changes permitted with supervisor approval via CtrlLayer's approval workflow. Operator access remains full. Engineering access restricted to monitoring only.
Night Shift
Skeleton crew policies. Operator access only. Any elevation request triggers immediate notification to on-call supervision. Emergency break-glass procedures available for critical equipment failures with mandatory post-incident documentation.
Secure Production Without Disruption
See how CtrlLayer protects your factory floor — schedule a manufacturing-focused demo.