Background Image
 
English Deutsch Español Français Italiano Português 日本語 한국어 繁體中文
Request a Demo
Claroty Toggle Search

Report

The Global State of Operational Security 2026

Protecting operations evolves as a core business capability.

Read more below

Claroty report cover titled 'The Global State of Operational Security 2026: Protecting operations evolves as a core business capability.'

View the Report

Claroty presents the results of an independent global survey of 2,000 cybersecurity, technology, and business leaders responsible for the protection of operational environments. The findings shed light on their approach and how it impacts their ability to maintain business continuity, drive digital transformation, and achieve compliance for critical infrastructure.

Interested in learning about Claroty's Cybersecurity Solutions?

Request a Demo

Key Findings

Operational Exposures Have Consequential Impacts on Business Continuity

Survey respondents emphasized a need for risk reduction in operational environments. 58% said they’d suffered a cyberattack impacting operations, and pointed out these incidents result in operational downtime, safety incidents, and financial loss.

Top Impacts From Operational Incidents:

43%

Operational Downtime

40%

Safety incidents/hazards

35%

Financial Loss

Financial Impact of CPS-Related Incidents

Approximately what was the total financial impact of cybersecurity incidents experienced by your organization?

Bar chart showing total financial impact of CPS incidents, with most causing $100K–$499K in damages, followed by $500K–$999K and under $100K.

Downtime Resulting from Operational Cyber Incidents

How much operational downtime resulted from your organization’s most significant CPS-related cyber incident?

Bar chart showing operational downtime from cyber incidents, peaking at 2–12 hours, with most lasting between 1 hour and 7 days.

Digital Transformation, AI, and Fragmented Governance

The unification of security and risk management under a single, internal domain was cited as a key driver of digital transformation and convergence efforts. Yet only 16% of organizations claim operational security governance is fully integrated. This fragmentation may prevent business and technology leaders from obtaining a full picture of risk.

Integration of IT and Operational Security Governance

To what extent has your organization integrated IT and CPS security governance and
risk management? 

Donut chart showing security governance integration, with most organizations being mostly or partially integrated, and few fully integrated.

Structural problems also remain around operations that include accountability and budget control over operational protection. 84% of accountability is split between the CIO/IT office (39%), the CISO and security teams (28%), and operations (17%), while a similar split is noted regarding budget control.

Ownership or Control of Operational Security Budget

Who is primarily responsible for operational security budgets within your organization?

Donut chart showing operational security budget control led mostly by IT and CISO teams, followed by COO and OT leadership.
View the Report

AI’s Material Impact on Operations

70% of respondents said artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a role to varying degrees within operational environments, and more than 1 in 10 said they rely on AI extensively. Respondents acknowledged that while there have been largely positive impacts because of advanced technologies, there are some newly introduced risks.

Positive Impacts

48%

AI has improved operational efficiency and productivity

46%

AI has improved decision-making through automation and analytics

37%

AI has enabled new business models, products, or services

Negative or Neutral Impacts

40%

AI has introduced new cybersecurity, compliance, or operational risks

33%

AI implementation has created operational challenges, disruption, or change management issues

6%

AI has had little or no impact on our organization to date

Compliance Still King, But Resilience May Soon Overtake

Regulatory compliance programs continue to drive cybersecurity investments and strategies, and yet while 75% of survey respondents said they have a proactive and structured approach to compliance management, there are regulatory and operational barriers threaten overall compliance efforts and cyber insurance readiness. 

Current Approaches to Managing Cybersecurity Compliance Requirements

Which of the following best describes your organization’s current approach to managing cybersecurity compliance requirements for critical infrastructure?

We have a structured approach, with defined practices to track requirements and demonstrate compliance

43%

We have a proactive approach, with automated processes to continuously monitor requirements and align controls to relevant frameworks

32%

We meet compliance requirements but rely heavily on manual processes for tracking and reporting

15%

We are working to understand and address relevant compliance requirements

8%

We do not currently have a defined approach for managing critical infrastructure compliance requirements

2%

Operationally, governance fragmentation, technical debt, and connectivity to third parties pose the biggest barriers to compliance.

Operational Compliance Barriers

What is the single biggest operational barrier to achieving full compliance across your organization’s CPS?

IT/OT alignment challenges: Gaps in skills, ownership, or collaboration between IT security and OT teams

29%

Legacy systems: Difficulty maintaining compliance for older, proprietary systems that cannot be easily patched or updated

26%

Third-party risk: Difficulty tracking and enforcing compliance requirements across hardware and software suppliers

25%

Limited visibility: Lack of a complete, real-time inventory of connected CPS/OT assets

16%

None of the above

4%

View the Report
Claroty
LinkedIn Twitter YouTube Facebook