Critical Infrastructure

Build IT / OT Resilience with PAM and Identity Security Solutions

State and local agencies that own, operate, or enable essential utilities like energy, water, transportation, and communications must consider how to best secure this critical infrastructure against evolving cyberthreats. As operational technology (OT) becomes more connected and vendor access expands, identity-based exploits are often the path of least resistance for attackers. They are finding ways (stolen credentials, etc.) to log in as legitimate users, and then using this foothold to move laterally and escalate access.

Modern identity and privilege controls are essential for hardening access pathways and closing these security gaps across IT and OT. And secure remote access is imperative for everyday ICS / SCADA operations like monitoring HMIs, responding to alarms, adjusting setpoints, and reviewing data, plus maintenance, vendor, support, and incident response.

Challenges in Securing Critical Infrastructure

Risky third-party access

VPNs or jump servers can create security risks by enabling non-granular, standing access to critical resources. This can translate into a lasting foothold for attackers.

Insufficient audit trails

Critical infrastructure teams may lack the proper audit trails for compliance and investigations, often relying on manual logging or siloed reports to piece together audit evidence.

No secure access to segmented networks

Teams often struggle to enable access to non-routable or isolated OT systems, while also maintaining stringent security controls.

Limited support for custom tools / protocols

Many OT environments rely on custom tools and protocols, yet have no way of holistically securing these niche technologies.

Address Core Critical Infrastructure Use Cases

BeyondTrust helps state and local organizations protect critical services by governing privileged access across people, vendors, endpoints, servers, cloud, and OT environments. Reduce standing privileges, shrink exposed access paths, and prove exactly who accessed what, when, and why.

Replace VPNs and reduce remote access risk

Remote access to critical infrastructure shouldn't expand the blast radius.

BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access (PRA) enables secure access without requiring traditional VPN or inbound connectivity. Access is time-bound, governed, and attributable, so technicians, vendors, and partners can work without inheriting unnecessary network reach.

Key outcomes:

Secure operator, vendor, and partner access with outbound-only, point-to-point access
Reduce inbound exposure and risky pathways
Replace always-on access with approved, time-bound sessions that grant access only when required
Improve third-party governance without slowing operations

Enable secure access to segmented, non-routable OT networks

OT environments rely on segmentation for safety and resilience. Yet, segmented systems that are non-routable, highly restricted, or effectively isolated by design must also be reachable when needed.

BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access enables secure access into these environments, while preserving segmentation intent with jumpoint-based access architecture and support for daisy chaining across segmented networks. Connect the right user to the right asset, through the right path, for the right duration, with full accountability.

Key outcomes:

Secure access into non-routable and isolated OT environments
Controlled access across segmented zones, in alignment with the Purdue model
Consistent workflows for internal teams and third parties

Centralize Access Control and Auditing

When remote access is fragmented across different tools and processes, governance becomes inconsistent, creating risk during incidents and uncertainty during audits.

BeyondTrust centralizes policy, access, and session oversight across privileged pathways so you can clearly answer the critical questions: Who accessed the system? When did access occur? Which actions were performed? Was access approved and appropriate?

Key outcomes:

Capture full session monitoring, video capture, keystroke logging, and automated reporting for accountability and incident review
Conduct faster investigations and clearer after-action reviews
Gain stronger oversight for vendor and contractor activity, as well as for internal users

Support OT Tools and Compliance

OT operations depend on specialized tools and vendor software that don't behave like standard enterprise applications.

BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access supports secure access patterns within specialized workflows, leveraging customizable features such as agent-based and agentless access methods with protocol tunneling. These flexible options work with custom OT toolchains, while applying standardized controls such as MFA, time-bound access, and session recording.

Key outcomes:

Support specialized OT workflows—without bypassing controls
Standardize access policies, even when toolchains differ
Improve audit readiness for NERC CIP, IEC 62443, NIS2, and more

Outcomes that Matter, Mapped to State and Local Critical Infrastructure

The following security success criteria align directly to electric utilities, hydroelectric dams, nuclear adjacent operations, water and wastewater, transportation, communications, and emergency services because they translate access controls into disruption prevention.

Elimination of VPNs

Replace VPNs with secure, outbound-only access

Network segmentation

Enable secure access to segmented, non-routable OT networks

Audit trails

Achieve full session auditing for internal and third-party access with video, metadata, and logging

Security for custom OT tools

Support custom industrial tools and protocols, including Siemens and Rockwell workflows

Access controls, everywhere

Enforce MFA and just-in-time access for internal and third-party users

Adherence to industry standards

Preserve workflows, while enabling secure access across Purdue levels

Use Cases by Sector

Energy, Hydroelectric Dams, and Nuclear Adjacent Operations

Secure operator and vendor access into segmented OT environments—without expanding network exposure. Replace standing access with time-bound sessions, enforce strong authentication, and record privileged activity to support continuity, safety, and oversight during maintenance windows and outage response.

Water and Wastewater

Reduce disruption risk by replacing unmanaged remote access and vendor pathways with governed, auditable sessions. Enforce MFA and just-in-time access for integrators and technicians, limit access to the systems required for the task, and capture session evidence to support compliance and incident review.

Transportation

Support distributed operations across depots, field sites, and regional facilities with consistent access policies that scale. Enable secure remote maintenance and troubleshooting for internal teams and third parties, while preserving segmentation and minimizing blast radius, even if credentials are compromised.

Communications

Harden remote administration pathways that enable critical services across networks and infrastructure. Tighten authentication, reduce standing access, and record sessions to improve accountability, accelerate investigations, and minimize the risk of compromised credentials giving persistent access.

Emergency Services

Maintain speed during high tempo incidents—without sacrificing control. Provide rapid, approved access to critical systems for internal teams and vendors, with full session recording and audit trails that support after-action review, investigations, and public accountability.

Education Facilities (Pre K–12, Higher Education, Business and Trade Schools)

Secure third-party and internal access to facilities and operational systems that keep campuses safe and functioning, including HVAC and building management, access control, and safety-related infrastructure. Replace VPN-based vendor access with time-bound, recorded sessions and consistent policies across many sites, supporting continuity, while proving exactly who accessed what and what actions were taken.

Five Actionable Steps for Critical Infrastructure Security Leaders

Conduct a privileged identity and entitlement audit across enterprise IT, operations, and key vendors.
Enforce least privilege for endpoints and servers, and adopt just-in-time access for administrators and third parties.
Deploy a unified platform that covers vaulting, secure remote access, and privileged activity insights, along with other critical PAM and identity security capabilities.
Review privileged policies regularly and remove excessive permissions quickly, especially for shared accounts and remote access paths.
Train IT, OT, and operations teams on elevation workflows, vendor access governance, and secure remote support practices.

Protect Critical Services with Identity Security You Can Prove

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Talk to BeyondTrust about improving cyber resilience, reducing disruption risk, and securing OT remote access

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BeyondTrust Achieves FedRAMP® Moderate Authorization for Remote Support (RS) and Privileged Remote Access (PRA) Solutions

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Buyer's Guide for Complete PAM

Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for PAM

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Leader in Privilege-Centric Identity Security

Secure Critical Infrastructure for State and Local Governments

Build IT / OT Resilience with PAM and Identity Security Solutions

Challenges in Securing Critical Infrastructure

Risky third-party access

Insufficient audit trails

No secure access to segmented networks

Limited support for custom tools / protocols

Address Core Critical Infrastructure Use Cases

Replace VPNs and reduce remote access risk

Enable secure access to segmented, non-routable OT networks

Centralize Access Control and Auditing

Support OT Tools and Compliance

Outcomes that Matter, Mapped to State and Local Critical Infrastructure

Elimination of VPNs

Network segmentation

Audit trails

Security for custom OT tools

Access controls, everywhere

Adherence to industry standards

Use Cases by Sector

Energy, Hydroelectric Dams, and Nuclear Adjacent Operations

Water and Wastewater

Transportation

Communications

Emergency Services

Education Facilities (Pre K–12, Higher Education, Business and Trade Schools)

More BeyondTrust Solutions for Securing Critical Infrastructure

Identity Security Insights®

Endpoint Privilege Management

Password Safe®

Remote Support

Entitle

Five Actionable Steps for Critical Infrastructure Security Leaders

Protect Critical Services with Identity Security You Can Prove

Contact us to learn more

Learn More