OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY · ICS · SCADA · IEC 62443

OT Session Governance: Continuous Control of Every Privileged Remote Session in Critical Infrastructure

Your firewall, MFA, and PAM confirm who connects to your SCADA systems. But once the session starts, nothing governs what happens inside it. This is the Governance Gap that enabled unauthorised commands in Oldsmar and persistent state-sponsored access through Volt Typhoon.

Deployment
20-minute deployment. Single GPO/Intune policy line. No reboots. No re-architecture.
Footprint
7MB installed. Runs in DRAM. Near-zero CPU impact. No interference with OT processes.
Integration
Strengthens your existing security stack. Complements IAM, PAM, SIEM, and ZTNA.
No Rip and Replace
Deploys on top of your current environment. Nothing to remove, nothing to reconfigure.

How Keystrike Governs OT Sessions

Your identity tools grant access. Your SIEM logs what happened. Keystrike governs what happens during the live session. You don't have to rip out or replace the tools you already have. Keystrike is the essential final piece that makes your existing stack deliver Continuous Access Governance.

73%
of organisations experienced an OT intrusion in the past year
Dragos OT Cybersecurity Report
20min
average Keystrike deployment time, no network re-architecture
1 line GPO/Intune · No reboots
01
SEE — Live Visibility

You need to see what is happening right now, especially the sessions your existing tools miss. Keystrike gives you live visibility: a real-time map of every remote access connection, across every protocol, including sessions from unmanaged and unknown clients.

02
CONTROL — Real-Time Enforcement

You need certainty that every remote session in your OT environment is governed, not just logged. Keystrike gives you real-time enforcement: deterministic verification that blocks unauthorised commands over RDP and SSH in real time, before they execute. A binary cryptographically attested signal ensures deterministic enforcement, not probabilistic detection.

03
PROVE — Continuous Governance

You need evidence — not just policies. Keystrike gives you provable governance: tamper-evident session records mapped directly to NERC CIP, IEC 62443, and NIST requirements. Every remote access session generates audit-ready evidence automatically.

OT Cyberattacks on Water, Energy, and Utility Infrastructure

Hijacked sessions and unverified remote commands are sufficient to cause operational disruption, no full system compromise required. A single automated or malicious command can trip a breaker, shut down a pump, or alter water pressure.

01 — Muleshoe, TX

Remote SCADA Exploit Overflows Municipal Water Tank

Hijacked sessions and unverified remote commands are sufficient to cause operational disruption, no full system compromise required. A single automated or malicious command can trip a breaker, shut down a pump, or alter water pressure.

In January 2024, attackers caused a water tank overflow in Muleshoe, Texas by exploiting unverified remote sessions in a municipal SCADA system, forcing operators to switch to manual control. The attack was attributed to foreign hacking groups. — Chemical Processing, 2025

The Keystrike Response

Keystrike blocks every unattested command in real time. Only verified physical operator input reaches OT systems, whether the session is hijacked, credentials are stolen, or the command originates from an automated script.

With Keystrike:

  • Unauthorised commands stopped before execution
  • Operational continuity across water, energy, and electricity infrastructure
  • Full support for remote operations and hybrid control rooms
02 — Oldsmar, FL

Remote Access Used to Poison Water Supply

Third-Party Vendor Access as an OT Attack Vector

Utilities depend on contractors and vendors for maintenance and monitoring. Compromised vendor credentials are among the most common initial access vectors in OT environments, and once inside, no session-level verification exists to stop what happens next.

In the Oldsmar, Florida water treatment incident, an attacker used a legitimate remote access tool to raise sodium hydroxide to dangerous levels, endangering thousands of residents. The session appeared legitimate. The command was not. — ICS-CERT

The Keystrike Response

Keystrike validates every vendor and contractor action before execution. Compromised credentials cannot produce commands that pass Keystrike's physical attestation requirement.

With Keystrike:

  • Third-party sessions governed at the command level
  • Vendor collaboration preserved without expanding the attack surface
  • No network re-architecture required
03 — Littleton, MA

State-Backed Attackers Persist Inside Utility Network for 300+ Days

IT-to-OT Lateral Movement as a Persistent Threat Vector

Most OT breaches begin in IT. Attackers use phishing, stolen credentials, or vendor access to move laterally into operational control systems, exploiting the absence of session-level verification between IT and OT environments.

In 2023, Volt Typhoon — a Chinese state-linked threat actor — maintained persistent access to Littleton Electric Light and Water in Massachusetts for over 300 days via lateral IT-to-OT movement. No session-level control existed to detect or block commands from the compromised IT environment. — CISA Advisory, 2024

The Keystrike Response

Keystrike enforces session-level isolation between IT and OT. Stolen credentials and compromised IT sessions cannot produce attested commands in OT systems, regardless of how network access was achieved.

With Keystrike:

  • Lateral movement from IT to OT blocked at the session level
  • IT/OT segmentation enforced without network re-architecture
  • Pumps, valves, turbines, meters, and substations protected from unverified commands

Completing and Strengthening the OT Security Stack

Your identity tools grant access. Your SIEM logs events. Keystrike governs what happens during the live session.

Keystrike does not record keystrokes, credentials, or personally identifiable information. Verification is cryptographic and deterministic — not behavioral — eliminating false positives and privacy concerns. Keystrike evaluates governance signals, it does not capture, store, or replay session content. No keystrokes are recorded.

Tool Without Keystrike With Keystrike
IAM / PAM / MFA Verify identity at login, then hand off control entirely. No oversight of what happens inside the session. Every action inside the session is verified and enforced.
SIEM / SOAR / XDR Detect and alert on anomalies after commands execute. No ability to act within the session itself. Commands are blocked inside the session, before your detection stack ever sees them.

Meeting NERC CIP, IEC 62443, EPA, and NIST Requirements Without Disrupting Operations

NERC CIP requires organisations to log and monitor all electronic access to critical cyber assets. IEC 62443 mandates access control and security zone enforcement for industrial control systems. EPA guidance requires utilities to document and audit remote access to operational technology.

Keystrike supports each requirement by producing continuous, cryptographically attested session-level evidence of every privileged action, without capturing keystrokes, storing session content, or requiring changes to existing infrastructure.

Cryptographic Session Evidence

Continuous compliance evidence across every governed session. Track progress toward regulatory goals with live data. Prove your remote access governance posture is improving in real time, not reconstructed after the fact.

The Post-Authentication Risk in Numbers
65%
of OT environments have insecure remote access connections
Dragos, 2024 OT Cybersecurity Year in Review
71%
surge in attacks using stolen credentials in industrial environments
IBM X-Force, 2024 Threat Intelligence Index
45%
of manufacturing cyberattacks involved credential theft or abuse
Verizon DBIR 2024
46%
of energy sector breaches involved third-party or partner access
Verizon DBIR 2024, Energy subset
#1
Manufacturing most-targeted sector for cyberattacks — 5th consecutive year
IBM X-Force, 2025 Threat Intelligence Index
70%
of OT vulnerabilities reside in the internal network, post-perimeter
Dragos, 2024 OT Cybersecurity Year in Review
83%
of water and wastewater systems had undocumented remote access connections
WaterISAC / CISA Advisory, 2024

Global Water Resources Secures OT Without User Friction

“In about 20 minutes, I had Keystrike up and running. The deployment is simple, well thought out, with clear documentation. Now Keystrike helps us establish that commands are genuine and trustworthy by detecting lurking attackers and blocking when they inject themselves into active sessions. With the combination of powerful technology and ease of deployment, I highly recommend Keystrike.”

Steven Brill
VP of IT Operations and Security — Global Water Resources
Critical Infrastructure / Water Utility
Get Started

Close the Post-Authentication Gap Before Your Next Audit — or Incident

Compromised credentials, hijacked sessions, and unverified vendor access remain the three leading causes of OT operational disruption. Keystrike makes every privileged session visible, verifiable, and policy-controlled — deploying alongside your existing infrastructure without replacing tools or disrupting operations.

Keystrike for OT & Manufacturing — FAQ

What is session governance for OT environments?+

Session governance for OT environments means continuously verifying and controlling what happens during every privileged remote access session in operational technology infrastructure — including SCADA, ICS, and DCS systems. Unlike perimeter security or identity security, session governance operates after authentication, ensuring that authorised users only execute authorised commands.

How does Keystrike differ from OT network monitoring tools like Dragos or Claroty?+

OT network monitoring tools focus on network traffic analysis and asset discovery. Keystrike operates at the session layer, governing what authenticated users do during privileged remote sessions. Where IAM and PAM verify who gets access and SIEM and XDR record what happened, Keystrike enforces policy during the live session. It strengthens every tool in your stack by providing the continuous session governance they were not built to deliver.

Does Keystrike require agents on OT endpoints or PLCs?+

No. Keystrike deploys without agents on OT endpoints, PLCs, RTUs, or HMIs. It governs sessions transparently within existing remote access workflows. Typical deployment completes in 20 minutes.

Does Keystrike replace our PAM or IAM?+

Keystrike completes and strengthens PAM and IAM by governing what happens inside the sessions they grant. PAM controls who gets access to OT systems and manages privileged credentials. Keystrike governs what those users do once they're inside the session, verifying commands in real time and blocking unauthorized actions before they execute.

Does Keystrike replace our SIEM or XDR?+

SIEM and XDR log events after they occur and detection is therefore inherently reactive. Keystrike complements your SIEM by governing what happens during the live session and generating cryptographically attested session evidence that enriches your existing log data with verified records.

How does Keystrike handle third-party vendor remote access?+

Keystrike governs third-party vendor sessions transparently — vendors connect through existing remote access tools with no additional steps. Every vendor session is subject to the same deterministic enforcement and generates the same tamper-evident record as internal operator sessions.

Does Keystrike record or store keystrokes?+

No. Keystrike verifies that commands originate from a physical human operator through cryptographic attestation — without recording keystrokes, capturing screens, or conducting behavioural analysis.

Can Keystrike operate in air-gapped or segmented OT networks?+

Yes. Keystrike operates within the access pathways that already exist in Purdue Model architectures — governing sessions at the points where remote access enters the OT network.

What compliance frameworks does Keystrike support for critical infrastructure?+

Keystrike supports compliance with NERC CIP (CIP-004, CIP-005, CIP-007), IEC 62443, EPA cybersecurity directives for water and wastewater systems, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and NIST SP 800-82 through continuous session verification, deterministic policy enforcement, and cryptographically attested governance evidence across every privileged remote session.