Cisco has released its “2024 State of Industrial Networking Report,” which is designed to highlight the critical priorities of the evolving industrial networking landscape. With OT security becoming more important to organizations worldwide, the report provides a comprehensive look at the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as organizations strive to build a secure and efficient industrial networking foundation.
Key Takeaways
- 89% of respondents cited cybersecurity compliance as very or extremely important
- 92% of executive leaders see value in a unified cybersecurity solution
- 41% of firms report OT and IT teams work independently, emphasizing the need for improved collaboration
- 48% of respondents view AI as the most significant technological advancement that will impact industrial networking in the next five years
- 49% of respondents expect AI to improve network management across IT and OT
- 63% of respondents have increased spending on industrial infrastructure in the past year
Read More: Cybersecurity Trends for Manufacturing: Detection and Response
Survey Methodology
To obtain the data for its report, Cisco partnered with Sapio Research to survey over 1,000 industry professionals from 17 countries across 20 industry sectors. These sectors include manufacturing, transportation, logistics, energy, utilities, and more. Survey respondents ranged from management to the C-suite at companies with annual revenues of more than $100 million.
On Record
In a recent quote, Vikas Butaney, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cisco Networking – SD-WAN, Multicloud and Industrial IoT, said, “Operational technology, and specifically the network supporting industrial operations, has become a key differentiator for organizations globally. This research spotlights how IT and OT leaders recognize that strengthening their OT security posture is critical to drive business resiliency, improve efficiencies and prepare for the next wave of innovation with AI.”
