SCYTHE 5.1 Released  Read More

    Adversarial Exposure Validation for OT/ICS

    OT/ICS can't be tested like IT. We've designed for this.

    Every other security validation tool was designed for enterprise IT — then retrofitted for OT. SCYTHE was designed from the ground up for environments where uptime and safety are non-negotiable.

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    Validated OT outcomes
    0
    Operational disruptions from SCYTHE testing in OT environments
    60%+
    Reduction in detection MTTR after continuous AEV deployment
    IT→OT
    Full kill-chain validation across the IT/OT convergence boundary
    4×
    More validation tests run per year vs. annual pen test cadence
    Production-safe by design · Agentless OT deployment available

    The Core Challenge

    OT/ICS security testing has four constraints IT testing simply doesn't.

    Understanding these constraints is why most IT-focused security tools fail in industrial environments — and why SCYTHE was built differently.

    Availability is everything — not an option
    An IT server can be rebooted during testing. A power generation control system, a water treatment SCADA system, or a manufacturing PLC cannot tolerate interruption. Every test must be designed with the assumption that the operational process runs uninterrupted.
    Uptime non-negotiable Zero disruption
    Legacy systems that cannot be patched
    OT environments run systems that predate modern security by decades — Modbus, DNP3, Profibus, proprietary vendor protocols — on hardware that cannot be patched and software that cannot be upgraded without multi-year change management cycles.
    Modbus / DNP3 Profibus Multi-year patch cycles
    Agent deployment is often impossible
    Many ICS components cannot run software agents. The network topology is designed for deterministic process communication, not general-purpose IP networking. Validation approaches requiring software on every tested endpoint simply don't work here.
    Agentless required Network-only approach ICS-safe topology
    The threat actors are fundamentally different
    Nation-state actors targeting critical infrastructure use techniques designed to evade OT security tools, live off the land in industrial protocols, and cause physical consequences through digital means. Your IT-focused BAS tool's technique library wasn't built for these actors.
    Nation-state TTPs OT-specific techniques Physical consequence risk

    Active Threat Landscape

    The adversaries targeting your environment use OT-specific techniques. So should your testing.

    SCYTHE maps emulation campaigns to the real actors targeting critical infrastructure, so you're testing the playbook they're actually running.

    CN
    STATE
    VOLTZITE
    aka Volt Typhoon

    Chinese state-nexus group conducting long-duration espionage and pre-positioning against U.S. electric utilities, telecommunications, and defense. Specializes in living-off-the-land to avoid detection with demonstrated interest in OT network diagrams and operational data.

    LOTL techniques OT data exfil Pre-positioning
    Severity
    Critical
    RU
    STATE
    SANDWORM
    Russian GRU / Unit 74455

    Responsible for the most destructive cyberattacks on industrial infrastructure in history — 2015 and 2016 Ukrainian power grid attacks and Industroyer/Industroyer2 malware designed to directly interact with ICS protocols. Remains the most capable threat to EU and NA energy.

    Industroyer/2 Grid disruption ICS protocol abuse
    Severity
    Critical
    ME
    PETROCHEM
    TRITON / TRISIS
    Safety System Targeting

    Deployed TRITON malware against Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) in Middle Eastern petrochemical facilities — targeting the safety systems designed to prevent catastrophic accidents. First known malware specifically designed to cause physical harm to humans.

    SIS targeting Physical harm intent Safety bypass
    Severity
    Critical

    FROM THE PRACTITIONER COMMUNITY

    See how a real CTI program operationalizes the exact intelligence above into tested defenses.

    This is exactly where SCYTHE accelerates CTI operationalization, translating active threat actor intelligence into tested, validated defenses before an incident proves the gap for you.

    “I believe we should be testing in our production OT environments. I can't say that enough. They are different than our labs. We can't build a lab that looks like our production environment, especially at scale.”

    AW

    Alex Waikas

    OT Security Engineer, Southern Company

    HOW SCYTHE OPERATES IN OT/ICS ENVIRONMENTS

    Five principles convention tools
    can't offer.

    SCYTHE is purpose-built to operate across the IT/OT boundary, validating attack
    paths that matter most without disrupting the operations you're protecting.

    01
    Production-safe by design
    Every SCYTHE test is controlled, configurable, and auditable. Tests are scoped to specific network segments, time windows, and technique categories to match your operational risk tolerance. Destructive capabilities require explicit authorization — they cannot be triggered accidentally.
    Scoped by segment
    Time-window controls
    Full audit trail
    02
    Flexible deployment — no mandatory agents
    SCYTHE supports network-based assessment approaches for environments where agent deployment on ICS components is not feasible. The platform works with your OT network architecture, not against it.
    Agentless OT mode
    Network-based assessment
    03
    IT/OT convergence boundary validation
    Most successful OT attacks begin in IT and pivot through convergence points — historian servers, data diodes, jump hosts, remote access. SCYTHE validates the full kill chain from IT initial access through the IT/OT boundary — because that is how real adversaries operate.
    Historian servers
    DMZ validation
    Jump host testing
    04
    OT-specific technique emulation
    SCYTHE's technique library includes OT-specific adversary behaviors: industrial protocol reconnaissance, historian access patterns, HMI interaction, and the living-off-the-land techniques threat actors use in industrial systems — not IT techniques reapplied to OT context.
    DNP3/Modbus recon
    HMI patterns
    LOTL in OT
    05
    Air-gapped and on-premises support
    SCYTHE supports on-premises deployment in air-gapped environments. The platform does not require internet connectivity for operation, making it suitable for classified, highly regulated, and physically isolated industrial environments.
    No internet required
    On-prem deployment
    Air-gap compatible
    OT campaign

    Measured Benefits

    What OT operators achieve with SCYTHE.

    Continuous validation turns assumed OT coverage into defensible, auditable proof. Based on customer-reported outcomes from critical infrastructure operators.

    0
    Operational disruptions from SCYTHE-run adversary emulation in production OT environments
    60%+
    Reduction in OT detection mean time to respond after continuous AEV deployment
    <48h
    Average re-test cycle after a detection gap is identified and remediated
    100%
    Of NERC CIP and TSA directive compliance mappings supported with auditable evidence
    4×
    More adversary emulation runs per year vs. traditional annual OT penetration test
    IT→OT
    Full kill-chain coverage from IT initial access through the OT convergence boundary

    "SCYTHE improves our security control efficacy, optimizing budget spend and ROI, while also enhancing talent development, training, and partner relationships.

    IA
    Ian Anderson
    OG&E (Oklahoma Gas & Electric) — ~900,000 customers, NERC CIP regulated

    Regulatory Alignment

    Built for the frameworks that govern critical infrastructure security.

    Continuous adversary emulation with SCYTHE produces the defensible, repeatable evidence record that regulators require — not a point-in-time PDF.

    NERC
    CIP
    NERC CIP
    Bulk Electric System cybersecurity standards — SCYTHE supports CIP-007 and CIP-010 evidence requirements
    IEC
    62443
    IEC 62443
    Industrial automation and control system security — validation aligned to security levels and zones
    NIST
    CSF
    NIST CSF
    Cybersecurity Framework — SCYTHE results map to Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond functions
    TSA
    SD
    TSA Security Directives
    Pipeline, rail, and aviation sector directives — SCYTHE provides defensible testing evidence for TSA reviews

    Common Questions

    Questions OT security teams ask first.

    These are the questions every critical infrastructure defender asks before testing in a live OT environment.

    Q
    Can SCYTHE test ICS/SCADA systems without risking operational disruption?
    Yes. Every test is scoped, auditable, and controllable. Techniques that could cause operational disruption require explicit authorization and are separated from standard validation runs. SCYTHE operates in live OT environments at energy utilities, manufacturing facilities, and critical infrastructure operators without incident.
    Q
    Does SCYTHE require deploying agents on OT systems?
    No. SCYTHE supports network-based assessment approaches that do not require agent installation on OT devices. Deployment strategy is designed around your OT architecture — not the other way around. Agentless modes are supported for environments where endpoint software cannot be installed.
    Q
    How does SCYTHE handle air-gapped OT environments?
    SCYTHE supports on-premises deployment with no internet connectivity required for operation. This makes it suitable for classified, highly regulated, and physically isolated industrial environments. Data does not need to leave your environment for SCYTHE to operate.
    Q
    Which OT monitoring platforms does SCYTHE integrate with?
    SCYTHE integrates with leading OT security monitoring platforms including Dragos, Claroty, Nozomi Networks, and Microsoft Defender for IoT. Validation results are correlated against monitoring platform alerts to measure OT-specific detection coverage and identify gaps before attackers do.

    Prove your OT defenses work, without disrupting operations.

    Talk to SCYTHE about your OT architecture, regulatory requirements, and the specific threat actors targeting your sector.