As industrial environments grow more connected and remote work becomes the standard, incident response in these settings looks significantly different from what it did years ago. Distributed industrial security teams now protect systems where cyber incidents can have real-world consequences, often without being physically present. The following five challenges that security teams face in incident response reflect the changing environment.

1. Lack of On-Site Visibility and Physical Access

In traditional IT environments, responders can often isolate a device or pull logs with minimal risk. Industrial control systems are different, as they connect closely to physical processes or machinery.

When teams work remotely, they cannot walk to a compromised device and disconnect it from the network without risking downtime or safety issues. This lack of physical visibility makes it harder to validate alerts and understand the issue's context.

The Solution

Remote teams need to compensate for physical distance with better tools and clear procedures. Secure and segmented remote access and monitoring solutions allow responders to observe systems safely without introducing new risks.

2. Coordinating a Dispersed Response Team

Effective incident response requires coordination between security analysts, facility operators, leadership and other stakeholders. When these stakeholders are in different locations, communication gaps can slow decision-making and increase risk. With global networks receiving 600 million cyberattacks per day, teams may struggle to align on incident response and take proper action without a shared framework.

The Solution

Standardized incident response frameworks provide a shared language for everyone to follow. For example, models like the cyber kill chain help teams understand where an attacker is in its process and what defensive actions make sense for its current state.

A “virtual war room” can also be useful. It is a secure chat channel that activates immediately when security teams sound the alarm. Centralizing communication reduces confusion and ensures that all relevant stakeholders receive key updates and decisions.

3. Delayed Threat Detection and Containment

Effective incident response depends on speed. In 2024, it took 194 days on average to detect a data breach. Distributed teams face significant challenges due to network latency and time zone differences. Many industrial networks don’t have centralized visibility, making it harder to quickly detect and isolate threats.

The challenge grows as remote work rises. A survey found that 23% of organizations have reported an increase in cybersecurity incidents since people started working from home.

The Solution

Unified monitoring platforms that combine IT and operational technology (OT) into a single view are highly valuable. They enable analysts to view relevant metrics across systems, helping them identify threats faster and reduce guesswork. When paired with automation, teams can establish response workflows to immediately respond to these threats.

4. The IT/OT Skill Gap in a Remote Context

Industrial incident response involves both IT security and OT engineering. Even though cybersecurity occupations are expected to more than triple from 2025 to 2035, remote teams may still struggle because the person with the right expertise might be physically far from the affected system. They may suffer from misunderstandings about what actions are safe and necessary, as well as their possible impact on physical processes.

The Solution

Closing this gap requires investing in people. Consider implementing cross-training programs that teach IT security professionals the basics of industrial processes and plant engineers the fundamentals of cybersecurity. This mutual understanding fosters better collaboration and more effective incident response.

5. Forensic Data Collection and Preservation

Post-incident forensics in industrial environments can be challenging, even with on-site teams. Many systems have limited storage or proprietary operating systems that may not fully cover the scope of a cybersecurity incident. Performing this task remotely adds further complexity and increases the risk of losing critical evidence.

The Solution

Preparation is key. Teams can deploy hardware solutions like network test access points (TAPs) and data diodes to capture traffic without disrupting operations. This data can then be available to remote analysts during and after an incident. Secure cloud-based platforms can also help distributed teams analyze evidence collaboratively without requiring physical access to industrial hardware.

Building Resilient Teams

Incident response for distributed industrial security teams is fundamentally more complex than traditional IT response. Physical constraints and communication challenges all raise the stakes. However, the right combination of technology and standardized processes can help remote teams respond effectively and keep industrial systems secure while prioritizing safety and operations.