Fortinet, a global leader in cybersecurity, released its 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report on July 9, 2025, revealing significant shifts in operational technology (OT) security. Based on a survey of over 550 OT professionals, the report underscores the increasing role of executive leadership in OT security and the positive impact of adopting best practices.
The report highlights a growing trend of OT security oversight shifting to the C-suite, with 52% of organizations assigning responsibility to CISOs or CSOs (up from 16% in 2022) and 95% involving C-suite executives (up from 41%). Additionally, 80% of organizations plan to move OT cybersecurity under CISOs within the next year, reflecting its elevation to a board-level priority. “Everyone from the C-suite on down needs to commit to protecting sensitive OT systems,” said Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President at Fortinet.
Self-reported OT security maturity is advancing, with 26% of organizations at Level 1 (establishing visibility and segmentation), up from 20% last year. Higher maturity correlates with fewer attacks and better handling of low-sophistication threats like phishing. However, advanced threats like APTs and OT malware remain challenging for less mature organizations. Operational outages impacting revenue have decreased from 52% to 42%, indicating improved resilience.
Adopting cybersecurity best practices is driving measurable improvements. Vendor consolidation, with 78% of organizations using 1-4 OT vendors, enhances efficiency and security. Fortinet’s unified approach has led to a 93% reduction in cyber incidents and a 7x performance improvement through faster triage and setup. Other effective practices include better training, cyber hygiene, and a 49% spike in threat intelligence adoption since 2024.
The report outlines actionable strategies to strengthen OT security:
Fortinet’s 2025 report shows organizations are prioritizing OT security with increased C-suite accountability and maturing practices. By adopting these best practices, businesses can reduce risks and enhance resilience in the evolving IT/OT threat landscape.
Fortinet is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere our customers need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet's solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone.
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