OT Security Is National Security: OTCC's Response to the National Cyber Strategy

The National Cyber Strategy makes one thing clear: operational technology security is national security. For OTCC, the significance lies not just in that recognition, but in the strategy's focus on execution and its acknowledgment that securing industrial systems is essential to protecting the U.S. economy and national defense. This is the kind of policy signal the OT community has long needed, and OTCC strongly supports the strategy's direction.

Across the strategy, OTCC sees clear alignment on several priorities that reflect the realities of securing critical infrastructure.

Resilience as deterrence. Defense alone has not changed adversary behavior. For OT environments, resilience, continuity of operations, and rapid recovery are how deterrence is achieved in practice. Hardening industrial systems, reducing systemic risk, and ensuring critical services remain available directly raise the cost of disruption, making attacks less attractive and less effective.

Clear, practical expectations. Regulatory harmonization and consistent cyber baselines give owner-operators and manufacturers the clarity they need to strengthen security without compromising safety or reliability. Fragmented or conflicting requirements have long been a barrier to progress; the strategy's emphasis on coherence is a meaningful step forward.

Modernization that reflects operational reality. Upgrading legacy OT systems is not simply a technology challenge. It requires leadership, funding models, and procurement frameworks that reflect real-world operational constraints. The strategy moves meaningfully in that direction, acknowledging that modernization must be achievable, not just aspirational.

Execution through collaboration. Securing OT ultimately depends on sustained coordination with the companies that design, build, and operate these systems. Policy developed without industry input risks missing the mark; the strategy's emphasis on partnership is the right foundation.

OTCC supports ONCD's commitment to moving from strategy to action and looks forward to working with government and industry partners to advance measurable progress in critical infrastructure security.