What approach best enables secure event correlation across IT and OT data sources?

What approach best enables secure event correlation across IT and OT data sources?

• A. Keep IT and OT logs in separate systems with no cross-referencing
• B. Analyze IT logs only and ignore OT indicators
• C. Normalize data formats, centralize logging, apply consistent incident taxonomy, and use correlation rules bridging IT/OT events with context
• D. Use manual correlation on a weekly basis

Answer: (C)

Secure event correlation across IT and OT hinges on a unified, normalized data foundation and automated, context-rich correlation rules. Normalizing data formats ensures events from diverse devices speak a common language, so they can be meaningfully compared. Centralizing logging provides a single view for analysts rather than scattered silos, making it possible to see the full picture. Applying a consistent incident taxonomy standardizes how events are labeled and prioritized, which is essential for scalable handling across units. With correlation rules that bridge IT and OT events and bring in relevant context, you can detect cross-domain threats and behavior that only make sense when both sides are considered. This approach gives real-time, actionable insights, reduces blind spots, and improves the speed and accuracy of detection and response. In contrast, keeping IT and OT logs in separate systems with no cross-referencing creates isolated data that can hide interdependent threats. Focusing on IT logs alone misses OT indicators that might reveal risk to industrial processes. Relying on manual, weekly correlation is slow and error-prone, unable to keep up with modern, continuous threat activity.

Secure event correlation across IT and OT hinges on a unified, normalized data foundation and automated, context-rich correlation rules. Normalizing data formats ensures events from diverse devices speak a common language, so they can be meaningfully compared. Centralizing logging provides a single view for analysts rather than scattered silos, making it possible to see the full picture. Applying a consistent incident taxonomy standardizes how events are labeled and prioritized, which is essential for scalable handling across units. With correlation rules that bridge IT and OT events and bring in relevant context, you can detect cross-domain threats and behavior that only make sense when both sides are considered.

This approach gives real-time, actionable insights, reduces blind spots, and improves the speed and accuracy of detection and response. In contrast, keeping IT and OT logs in separate systems with no cross-referencing creates isolated data that can hide interdependent threats. Focusing on IT logs alone misses OT indicators that might reveal risk to industrial processes. Relying on manual, weekly correlation is slow and error-prone, unable to keep up with modern, continuous threat activity.