How Mining CIOs Can Secure OT and IT Together
Running a mining operation today involves more than just extracting valuable resources from the ground. For CIOs, particularly in mining sectors, securing both operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) is a significant challenge. These leaders must bridge gaps between traditional systems and modern innovations while keeping compliance, safety, and system uptime in check. The challenge becomes real when attempting to unify older OT with newer IT, all without exposing security vulnerabilities. Thankfully, there are practical strategies that CIOs can adopt, each designed to safeguard workers and streamline operations.
Many in the mining industry face similar pressures. Balancing legacy systems, which are often fraught with security risks, with newer IT demands rigorous planning. The pressure isn’t just technical but also emotional. Concerns about ransomware attacks, compliance liabilities, and operational efficiency weigh heavily. The stakes are high, with potential outages costing millions, and a cyber breach could endanger human lives. Thankfully, by conducting thorough risk assessments, adopting zero-trust models, and implementing strategies like the Essential Eight Controls, mining CIOs can move forward with more clarity and peace of mind.
Understanding OT and IT: Bridging the Gap
When it comes to technology in mining, there’s a distinct difference between OT and IT. Understanding these differences is crucial for bridging the gap. OT refers to the hardware and software systems that manage industrial operations, such as sensors, controls, and machinery monitoring. On the flip side, IT deals with data management, communication systems, and computing technologies. Both play important roles, yet they function differently within a mining environment.
The challenge in merging these two lies in their contrasting foundations. OT systems tend to be purpose-built, designed for long-term stability, and often have longer life cycles. IT systems adapt quickly, changing with new updates and evolving threats. Combining the two can create friction points or security gaps. That’s why thoughtful planning and close coordination matter.
Add to this the practical issues. Remote sites often struggle to attract technical talent, slowing down upgrades. At the same time, OT and IT teams can carry different priorities. IT might focus more on data confidentiality and uptime, while OT leadership could prioritise physical safety and automation reliability. Getting both sets of experts aligned requires open, ongoing communication and shared goals.
Conducting Joint Risk Assessments
To build a stable foundation for integration, joint risk assessments need to come first. This isn’t just an IT checklist. It’s a chance to see the operation as a full system, identify vulnerabilities, and take clear action.
Here’s a straightforward way to do it:
- Identify key assets across OT and IT.
- Analyse potential risks facing those systems, both environmental and cyber.
- Evaluate the impact if any of those risks were to play out.
- Put mitigation tactics in place, such as stronger access controls or segmentation.
- Build in regular reviews to keep pace with changes in the environment.
What makes this approach powerful is the collaboration it encourages. When different departments come together for a collective review, blind spots close. Whether it’s the control room technician or the IT security admin, each voice helps shape a shared understanding of what’s truly at stake.
Adopting a Zero-Trust Framework
Zero-trust has become a bit of a buzzword, but when done right, it’s incredibly practical. It works on a simple belief: no one is trusted automatically, even inside your network. Every request to access a resource must be verified, every time.
Start with network segmentation. You’ll want to separate OT and IT traffic where possible, so if an issue happens in one zone, it doesn’t cascade through the system. Strong identity controls come next. Opt for multi-factor authentication where feasible, so even if a password is stolen, it can’t be used on its own. Then add full-time monitoring. Look for patterns, alert on anomalies, and make it part of daily operations.
More than a technology fix, zero-trust is a mindset shift. It’s about expecting some level of risk and designing your environment to withstand it. Get your team used to this approach early and let it shape work routines and policies.
Prioritising Essential Eight Controls
The Essential Eight are strategic controls that help reduce threats—particularly in systems that weren’t originally designed with today’s digital risks in mind.
Start with:
- Application whitelisting to only allow authorised programs to run.
- Patching applications frequently to block known attacks.
- Managing Microsoft Office macro settings tightly.
- Hardening user applications by disabling vulnerable features.
- Restricting administrative privileges except where truly necessary.
- Updating all operating systems promptly.
- Enabling multi-factor authentication wherever possible.
- Backing up critical data and testing recovery processes.
These aren’t flashy changes. But together, they form a strong base that helps prevent lateral movement across your network and limits the blast radius if something does go wrong.
Cyber Resilience Strategies
Even with every block in place, no system is perfect. That’s why building resilience is just as important. What happens when something slips through the cracks?
A solid disaster recovery plan is where it begins. Know how to respond during a cybersecurity incident across your entire tech mix. Clarify which systems are restored first, how communication flows, and who coordinates which part of the response.
Then train your people. Host regular awareness sessions. Run mock incidents. The best defences only work if your team knows what to do. Building muscle memory in quiet times makes all the difference when under pressure.
Resilience isn’t a one-time project; it’s how you stay ready over time.
Real-world Examples and Success Stories
Take a mining company out in the western United States. They were facing repeated slowdowns thanks to growing gaps between their OT setup and newer cloud services. With support, they introduced zero-trust access policies and phased in the Essential Eight across older systems. Recovery times dropped, staff confidence rose, and third-party auditors gave positive alignment feedback.
One small win snowballed into broader adoption across sites, laying the groundwork for future automation programs. Better still, it sparked constructive dialogue between OT and IT staff who had rarely spoken before beyond outages. That’s the impact of practical, shared approaches.
Staying Ahead: Future-proofing Your Systems
To stay ahead, keep updates and visibility high on your action list. Unpatched or unmonitored systems are magnets for attackers. System monitoring tools now provide real-time visibility into both IT and OT environments, helping you catch issues earlier.
Stay engaged with industry bulletins. Participate in mining and cybersecurity working groups where you can. Standards are shifting as technology evolves, and being active in these updates ensures you respond before changes affect compliance or insurance conditions.
When planning upgrades, aim for solutions that blend easily into both environments and are vendor-supported. The smoother the integration, the less downtime risk you carry.
Ensuring Uptime Without Compromising Security
CIOs in mining often feel pressure to avoid disruption, even for necessary fixes. But the right tools can help maintain uptime while improving safety.
Start by prioritising changes. Tackle low-risk updates when operations are quiet. Deploy changes in a test environment when available, and roll them out in stages. Solutions like conditional access controls and virtual patching help protect systems even when full fixes aren’t feasible immediately.
Technologies that give both IT and OT visibility—without needing constant human oversight—can reduce manual effort and build confidence. If done right, these tools bring security and uptime closer together, not further apart.
Secure Your Mining Future
Bringing OT and IT together doesn’t happen overnight. But with the right steps—joint risk assessments, a zero-trust mindset, reliable controls, and steady upgrades—you create a foundation that protects people and productivity alike.
For many CIOs, the real gain isn’t just security. It’s peace of mind. It’s knowing backup recovery works. It’s seeing fewer panicked alerts. And it’s having tools you can stand behind when audits or emergencies roll in.
The work you do today creates tomorrow’s stability. And that’s always worth building on.
Securing your mining operation involves more than just integrating OT and IT systems; it’s about maintaining resilience and compliance in an ever-shifting landscape. By leveraging proven strategies like risk assessments and zero-trust frameworks, your business can protect against potential threats. To explore how business technology consulting could optimise your systems, ItVisions is here to help you strengthen your IT landscape and support long-term operational success.
