Optimizing Risk Assessment Methodologies for OT in Critical Infrastructure Sectors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56472/ICCSAIML25-139Keywords:
Operational Technology (OT), Risk Assessment, Critical Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Threat Modeling, Risk Scoring, SCADA, ICS, Asset Management, ResilienceAbstract
Operational Technology (OT) systems, foundational to critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, water, transportation, and healthcare, face increasing threats from both cyber and physical domains. Traditional IT-focused risk assessment frameworks fall short in addressing the unique characteristics of OT environments, such as legacy systems, high availability requirements, and real-time control constraints. This paper presents a critical analysis of existing OT risk assessment methodologies and proposes an optimized, sector-adaptable framework tailored for critical infrastructure. By integrating domain-specific threat modeling, asset criticality evaluation, and adaptive risk scoring, the proposed methodology enhances both situational awareness and mitigation prioritization. Case studies from energy and water sectors demonstrate the framework's practical relevance and scalability. The findings aim to guide policy makers, security professionals, and engineers in deploying robust, proactive risk assessment strategies that preserve the resilience and integrity of essential services
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