Manufacturing

First Watch for the manufacturing sector secures production systems, OT network infrastructure, and remotely managed machinery. Manufacturing plants face unique challenges including overseas vendor access for machine maintenance, convergence of IT and OT networks, and legacy systems running unsupported operating systems.

A common characteristic across manufacturing environments is the reliance on equipment supplied and maintained by international vendors. These machines require regular remote access for diagnostics, firmware updates, and troubleshooting — creating persistent remote access paths into the production network that must be controlled.

First Watch addresses these challenges through:

• PLC Guard as a network separation device — enforcing IT/OT segmentation at the industrial protocol level, with deep packet inspection of all traffic crossing the boundary
• Granular remote vendor access control — permitting approved maintenance operations while blocking unauthorised programming or firmware changes
• ControlGuard endpoint protection — application whitelisting on HMI workstations and legacy Windows machines that cannot be patched or upgraded
• Continuous monitoring and visibility — real-time awareness of all devices, communications, and changes across the OT environment

This section covers manufacturing-specific solutions, operational considerations, and deployment guidance.