Why Threat Intelligence Needs OT Context to Protect Critical Infrastructure
Aug 24, 2026
Cybersecurity teams have no shortage of threat data: New vulnerabilities are disclosed, malware is discovered, attack campaigns are analyzed, and manufacturers, CERTs, and security agencies continuously publish indicators of compromise (IoCs), security advisories, and other technical information. For operators of critical infrastructure, however, collecting this information is not even the most challenging part. Security teams still need to determine whether a threat is relevant to their environment, which assets may be affected, and what the observed activity actually means in the context of an operational network. In the energy sector, that requires knowledge extending beyond enterprise security and into the protocols, equipment, and processes that keep power systems operating. A suspicious packet in an office network is one thing. Understanding whether communication between an engineering workstation and a protection device using IEC 61850 represents expected maintenance activi...
