Selecting an OT security solution can feel like a leap of faith—and with so many offerings to consider, a bit like finding a needle in a hackstack. For most prospective OT security buyers, product features and capabilities are at the forefront of their decision-making process, and rightfully so. However, another critical consideration often goes overlooked: the stability and longevity of the OT security vendor behind each solution.
When it comes to protecting industrial equipment built to last many years, you need an OT security vendor that's in it for the long haul. Decision makers must take care to make sure they're asking the right questions to guide their decision by identifying the hallmarks of a vendor equipped to stand the test of time.
Here are some key factors to consider when assessing the long-term outlook of an OT security vendor:
Financial Stability
One of the strongest indicators of a vendor's longevity is its ability to attract investors and raise the funds necessary to continue as an independent company. This is especially true amid the current pandemic—society is more reliant than ever on critical infrastructure, but at the same time, we're facing the highest level of business and economic uncertainty in nearly a century.
Leveraging our momentum, market presence, and critical mass, Claroty raised over $60 million in our Series B funding round, bringing our fundraising total to $100 million. Not only have these funds provided Claroty with the financial resources necessary to build out our team, expand our go-to-market engine, and broaden our customer base—they also provide the vital financial cushion needed to go forth confidently in these uncertain times.
Deep-Seated Partnerships with Dominant ICS Vendors
In contrast with the OT security market, the market for industrial control system (ICS) technology is quite mature, dominated by three leading vendors: Rockwell Automation, Siemens, and Schneider Electric. Given the symbiotic relationship between ICS vendors and OT security, the decisions these companies make regarding partnerships and investments is a useful bellwether for the outlook of the OT security market.
Not only do these three leading ICS vendors use Claroty to protect their own OT infrastructure, all three companies also decided to resell Claroty as part of their service portfolios. Furthermore, we're proud to say that all three companies have decided to invest in Claroty as a company. These companies decided to form close partnerships with Claroty as users, resellers, and investors based on months of research and evaluation in their own labs, comparing our technologies with those of other OT security vendors.
Rockwell Automation, Siemens, and Schneider Electric's decisions to partner with Claroty as customers, resellers, and investors is more than just a major vote of confidence. Our close relationship with all three leading ICS vendors translates to an unmatched level of compatibility and support with their technology, bolstering Claroty's ability to protect and reduce risk in OT environments.
Integration and Compatibility with OT Security Tools
For CISOs tasked with eliminating the decades-old security gap between IT and OT, having an OT security solution that offers seamless integration with existing IT security tools is invaluable for facilitating this alignment while reducing total cost of ownership (TCO). That being said, the rollout of technical integrations can be a lengthy and complex process, and not all vendors are on an equal footing in this arena.
Recognizing the strategic importance of doing so, Claroty has invested considerable effort in establishing a network of integration partners to support diverse use cases, including but not limited to SIEM (Splunk, IBM QRadar), workflow management (ServiceNow), network infrastructure (Fortinet, Palo Alto, Cisco CheckPoint, HP Aruba), and SOAR (Demisto Cortex, FireEye).
Continuous Innovation and Enhancement
To achieve longevity amid a hyper-competitive landscape and ever-evolving cyber threats, vendors cannot simply rest on their laurels after bringing a strong initial product to market. For long-term success, an OT security vendor must embrace research and development as a core element of their strategy, enabling them to introduce unique features and deliver a best-in-class solution.
Claroty's outstanding product team continually strives to develop new capabilities that enable our customers to identify, assess, and mitigate OT security issues with accuracy, granularity, and nuance. Announced in late April, the newly enhanced Claroty Platform delivers the broadest available set of OT security controls across four areas integral to reducing risk: visibility, threat detection, vulnerability management, and triage & mitigation.
To learn more about the Claroty Platform and its new features, request a demo.
