Network Assessments
Industrial IT/OT Network Assessments
Your operational technology (OT) network is the backbone of your process manufacturing facility. It carries all production communications and connects plant-floor machinery to broader control systems and the enterprise as a whole. It’s made of a mixture of cabling, connectors, and switches where even a single vulnerability can lead to latency, downtime, or even a full-scale security incident.
Yet for many engineering, maintenance, and plant management teams, there is little visibility into the state of the industrial network. Undocumented assets, outdated firmware, and other inefficiencies/liabilities can result in continuing operational inefficiencies and security risks.
At Cross Company’s Process Solutions group, we work with you to eliminate those blind spots. By partnering with an established industrial process automation expert, your team gains a comprehensive evaluation of your network infrastructure.
Certifications
Cross Industrial Network Assessment Technical Scope
Our network assessments for process manufacturers deep dive into the various interconnected components of your industrial environments. We can work with you to assess comprehensive connected device inventories, network topology, and wireless coverage.
Comprehensive Connected Device Inventory
We perform scans to catalog the make, model, IP addresses, and firmware version of the connected assets on your plant floor
Network Topology
We map your network’s overall structure, communication paths, and connection points. This isolates unsecured boundaries between your IT and OT networks
Wireless Coverage
We can identify wireless coverage gaps, unpatched endpoints, and ensure there are no unauthorized remote support access points
Offering Solutions From Leading Brands
How We Get It Right Every Time
Successfully executing a complex project like process control system upgrades, legacy control system migration, greenfield integration, or control system design takes more than guesswork. At Cross Company, we don’t believe in a “see what happens” approach.
That’s why we’ve developed a comprehensive project execution model to ensure every project flows perfectly, no matter the scope.
From Basis of Design (BOD) and/or Functional Design Specification (FDS) to Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) to Start-Up and Commissioning, we detail and document every step of the process. That way, your project goes exactly as expected.
We can even provide initial documentation as a separate offering. Take a look at the full model or contact Cross Company’s Process Solutions group to learn more.
The Network Assessment Process
When we perform network assessments for process manufacturing operations, we follow a systematic plan to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of your network infrastructure.
1. Learning and Planning – the first step is to work with our experts so we can understand everything going on with your network. How it works cohesively, how it relates to your process as a whole, and even how well it integrates with your equipment. Through understanding the current state of the network and knowing your future goals, we can lay the groundwork for the assessment.
2. Auditing Existing Systems – we move on to auditing your network, creating lists of connected devices, diagrams of infrastructure, and illustrations of interconnections. This provides us a clear understanding of your network as it is, as well as its potential strengths and weaknesses.
3. Creating a Report – Post-audit, we create a custom report specific to your network configuration. This includes total inventory, structural diagrams, and our recommendations for improvement. We go over this report with you so that you have a complete understanding, as well.
4. Moving to Action – the final phase moves past the initial assessment. Working from that framework, we can acquire the equipment and instrumentation necessary to enact any suggested upgrades or changes.
Actionable Value for Your Process Operation
Network Assessments from Cross Company delivers specialized, practical, actionable value across every level of your plant’s teams
- Plant Management – Our assessments turn network uncertainty into actionable roadmaps. We identify overall attack risk and potential infrastructure upgrades by business impact. We provide the documentation you need to eliminate blind spots that threaten your operation’s security and productivity.
- Engineering Teams – We ensure your network is aligned with relevant standards like ISA/IEC 62443-3-2. Cross helps engineers map complex network topologies to identify the root causes of data bottlenecks, analyze compliance, and understand the real impact to production if vulnerabilities are exploited or not addressed.
- Maintenance Teams – Network assessments directly identify flaws that lead to production line issues. Whether it’s commercial-grade cabling, bad connectors, or unauthorized remote access points embedded in OEM machinery, we give your maintenance team the precise information needed to maintain and protect production
Cross Company Process Solutions Resources
Take a look at some of our most popular Cross resources about process control, control system migration, process optimization, and more
Why Cross Company Network Assessments?
While it is possible to look at your network internally, working with an experienced third-party integrator like Cross Company allows your facility to lean into the expertise of an established industrial automation organization. We eliminate internal bias, analyze your unique risk tolerance, and evaluate security controls according to specific industry demands.
We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all engineering. Our core philosophy is built around a tailored approach. That means we analyze your specific process timeline, business goals, and existing architecture to deliver exactly what needs to be done. We scale our deliverables to match the precise size and scope of your project, ensuring you only invest where it drives the highest return on investment, whether you are managing a minor system update or a multi-million dollar capital expansion.
When you choose Cross Company’s Process Solutions group, you’re not just choosing a service provider. You’re choosing a trusted partner who will work directly with you as an extension of your own team.
Related Solutions for Process Applications
At Cross, we offer much more than just ITOT network assessments. We can also provide the solutions our process manufacturing partners need to succeed. Check out our other process solutions equipment and see for yourself.
