Industrial environments and critical infrastructure operators are increasingly dependent on Operational Technology (OT) networks, including Industrial Control Systems (ICS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. These systems form the backbone of essential services, such as energy, water, transportation, emergency warning systems, and manufacturing. Although OT networks have traditionally focused on safety, reliability, and availability, many of these environments were not originally architected to withstand modern cyber threats.
Wireless connectivity has become a cornerstone for delivering operational flexibility, supporting capabilities like real-time telemetry from distributed sensors, mobile operator terminals, and remote maintenance activities. Wireless technologies enable faster deployment and greater efficiency in dynamic or hard-to-reach areas, but they also introduce new vulnerabilities.
The OT Wireless Threatspace
Wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LTE, and 5G are now standard across many industrial sites. These protocols support a range of functions, including continuous condition monitoring, predictive maintenance analytics, asset tracking, and augmented reality tools for field technicians. However, they also create pathways for adversaries to launch attacks. For example, attackers can exploit weaknesses in wireless encryption, inject malicious signals, or deploy rogue devices to eavesdrop on or interfere with control commands. In one instance, unauthorized individuals managed to trigger emergency sirens in Dallas. Security researchers from Bastille found a similar issue in San Francisco.
Unlike wired networks, where physical security controls limit access points, wireless signals extend beyond facility perimeters, exposing OT networks to threats from outside fence lines or facility walls. This physical layer exposure enables malicious actors to compromise or disrupt operations without requiring direct access to infrastructure components.
Compounding these risks, many OT devices run outdated or unsupported firmware and often lack modern security features, such as strong authentication or encryption. These devices can remain operational in the field for years or even decades, making them vulnerable to security issues long after researchers discover and patch them. Moreover, OT assets are frequently deployed across geographically dispersed, uncrewed, or difficult-to-access sites, reducing the feasibility of regular manual inspections or timely incident response.
Wireless threats targeting OT environments include unauthorized access points imitating corporate networks (an “Evil Twin” attack), device spoofing where adversaries impersonate legitimate equipment, and radio frequency interference that degrades or disrupts wireless communications. These attacks can cause process instability, denial-of-service attacks, equipment damage, environmental hazards, or safety incidents. Additionally, unmonitored wireless activity can lead to non-compliance with industry regulations or internal security policies, exposing organizations to legal and reputational risks.
As IT-OT convergence accelerates, driven by digital transformation and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), attackers gain greater incentives to pivot from traditional IT entry points into OT systems. Security professionals widely anticipate that these risks will intensify as wireless adoption in critical infrastructure grows, and organizations must proactively adapt their defenses to stay ahead of evolving threats.
The Case for Dedicated OT Wireless Airspace Defense
Addressing these unique wireless threats requires a defense approach purpose-built for the RF spectrum. Conventional security tools such as firewalls, endpoint protection, and network intrusion detection systems cannot detect or analyze threats traveling through the airwaves alone. OT operators need wireless airspace defense solutions that provide complete visibility into radio frequency activities across the entire operational environment.
Unlike conventional network security solutions that focus solely on data traversing wired or trusted wireless networks, wireless airspace defense extends security coverage to the RF domain, identifying potential threats at their point of origin before they interact with critical OT assets.
To be effective in industrial settings, wireless airspace defense solutions must provide:
- Continuous RF Monitoring – Persistent observation of the radio spectrum to detect both expected and unexpected wireless activity across a wide frequency range, including industrial, scientific, and other frequencies outside traditional enterprise Wi-Fi channels.
- Detection of Rogue and Unauthorized Devices – Identification of devices that are not part of the authorized wireless inventory but are attempting to communicate within operational facilities, whether to intercept data, inject commands, or impersonate trusted devices.
- Detection of devices on the covered list – https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist
- Precise Threat Source Localization – Determination of the exact physical location of suspicious wireless transmissions within or around the facility, enabling security teams to investigate and neutralize threats before they impact operations swiftly.
- Historical and Real-Time Analytics – Recording, storing, and analyzing wireless activities over time to facilitate incident forensics, audit trails for compliance requirements, and performance reviews of wireless security posture.
- Operationally Safe and Passive Operation – Monitoring that does not transmit signals or interfere with existing industrial systems, preserving the integrity and availability of critical processes.
By implementing a comprehensive wireless airspace defense strategy, organizations managing OT networks can protect operational continuity, safeguard personnel, and demonstrate compliance with standards such as NERC CIP, IEC 62443, or industry-specific cybersecurity guidelines.
How Bastille Supports OT Wireless Security
Bastille’s Wireless Security Platform delivers an end-to-end solution specifically designed to meet the stringent demands of OT environments where downtime is unacceptable. Through 100% passive monitoring of the wireless airspace, Bastille identifies and classifies every wireless device operating within a facility’s perimeter or nearby areas, even those communicating outside conventional IT frequencies.
Key Bastille capabilities relevant to ICS, SCADA, and IoT security include:
- Passive Detection of Wireless Threats – Bastille’s sensors capture and analyze wireless transmissions without emitting signals that could disrupt sensitive equipment. The platform identifies patterns of unauthorized communication, detects devices transmitting on suspicious frequencies, and flags activities that deviate from established baselines.
- Accurate Device Localization – Leveraging advanced signal analysis techniques and a distributed sensor network, Bastille determines the precise physical position of each wireless device relative to the facility, accelerating investigation and remediation of threats.
- Comprehensive Wireless Protocol Coverage – Bastille’s monitoring encompasses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LTE, and 5G signals, as well as other wireless protocols commonly used for industrial automation, remote sensors, and control systems, providing extensive situational awareness.
- Centralized Management and Alerting – A unified management console aggregates and visualizes wireless activity data across multiple sites or facilities, providing security and operations personnel with timely alerts, detailed event logs, and actionable intelligence.
- Historical Records and Compliance Support – Bastille retains wireless activity logs to facilitate forensic investigations, support regulatory compliance requirements, and track improvements in security posture over time.
Through these capabilities, Bastille equips industrial organizations with the tools needed to identify, locate, and respond to wireless threats with speed and precision, strengthening their resilience against disruptions and targeted cyberattacks.
Conclusion
Wireless technologies play a crucial role in modernizing industrial operations, enabling enhanced efficiency, responsiveness, and safety. However, they also introduce unique attack vectors that traditional security tools cannot adequately address. Organizations responsible for ICS, SCADA, and IoT networks must adopt wireless airspace defense solutions that provide comprehensive visibility and control over RF activity.
Bastille’s Wireless Security Platform delivers a purpose-built solution tailored to the unique challenges of OT environments, empowering organizations to secure wireless communications, reduce downtime risks, and uphold the trust of regulators, partners, and the public. By proactively defending the wireless airspace, organizations can confidently embrace digital transformation without compromising safety or operational integrity.
