Cyberattacks are on the rise, and 70% of all attacks in 2025 targeted critical infrastructure organizations. This just goes to show how vulnerable industrial networks now are. The problem is mainly that these networks are increasingly connected, which means that industrial systems are now linked up to the cloud and accessible remotely. While this is great for efficiency, it also gives hackers a wealth of opportunities, and traditional firewalls are no longer enough to counter threats that can spread rapidly through these connected systems. That’s why network segmentation is now a key cybersecurity strategy. When large networks are divided up into separate, smaller zones, attack surfaces are reduced and suspicious behavior that may indicate a potential attack also becomes easier to spot and deal with.
Why traditional firewalls can’t protect industrial networks
Industrial systems are now fully connected to wider IT networks and the cloud, which means they’re now vulnerable to the same sorts of threats as corporate IT systems. Take the example of Russian hackers who took control of a dam in Norway last year, and managed to open a floodgate for four hours. The hackers were able to get in through a web accessible control panel that had a weak password. A traditional firewall wouldn’t have picked up on this attack because the traffic seemed normal. What firewalls usually do is block or allow traffic based on set security rules, instead of checking for malicious activity hidden within legitimate traffic. Another related issue is that traditional firewalls don’t speak the specialized language of industrial machines. They can’t understand protocols like PROFINET and EtherNet/IP, which means they can’t identify malicious commands that may be disguised as normal traffic.
Network segmentation reduces attack surfaces
The more devices and systems connected to industrial networks, the higher the risk of cyberattacks. This makes it vital to limit the spread of threats. One way to do this is to split the network into smaller, isolated segments. This approach, known as network segmentation, helps keep attack surfaces small and restricts communication between devices and systems that could lead to vulnerabilities. If one section is compromised, damage is contained to that zone, and it can’t spread elsewhere in the network. Network segmentation is beneficial for all industrial networks, particularly in manufacturing, which saw a 30% rise in cyberattacks last year. That’s about 1,585 attacks per manufacturing organization per week. Given the sheer number of potential threats, it’s important to strengthen cybersecurity manufacturing to quickly spot potential threats and prevent costly downtime.
Improves cybersecurity monitoring
Segmentation also makes it easier to monitor industrial networks for threats and problems, as it provides a clearer view of what’s normal for each defined zone. So, if a device starts to behave unusually, it’s easier to spot this as a potential security issue. Take a PLC that usually doesn’t do much, but then suddenly starts to send commands to a HMI segment. This is something that would get flagged right away, since the usual traffic that comes from this segment is already well understood. Usually specialized dashboards and security info systems provide real-time alerts when a device starts to act strangely, so the security team can take action before things escalate. On the other hand, in a larger, unsegmented network, it’s harder to spot suspicious behavior because there’s so much other traffic going on.
Traditional firewalls are no longer enough to keep industrial networks safe. Fortunately, network segmentation is a key cybersecurity solution that can help industrial organizations prevent cyberattacks and keep operations running smoothly.
