Industrial Organizations' Growing Misplaced Confidence in Remote Access Security Revealed by New Global Report
Industrial Organizations' Growing Misplaced Confidence in Remote Access Security Revealed by New Global Report
As we step into 2026, a global report by Secomea reveals that industrial organizations are increasingly confident in their remote access security. However, this growing confidence may not align with the actual operational realities, raising significant concerns in the field of cybersecurity.
The report titled The State of Industrial Remote Access 2026 is founded on a global survey involving 400 senior leaders from manufacturing and critical infrastructure sectors. It indicates that while many organizations rate their session visibility and regulatory preparedness as 'good', a deeper analysis unveils substantial structural deficiencies in vendor supervision, credential security, and overall auditability.
Key Findings
One of the primary revelations from the report is the growing gap between confidence and evidence in industrial cybersecurity. Although there is an uptick in trust regarding regulatory compliance accompanied by moderate visibility levels, full auditability of vendor sessions remains uncommon.
1. Vendor Access as Risk Multiplier: The report identifies supplier access as a significant risk factor. Organizations managing between 21 and 100 external suppliers appear to report the highest exposure levels. The report states that risk concentration often occurs where session visibility is limited and credential reviews are infrequent, indicating that vendor-related risks largely stem from how organizations manage and structure access, rather than the vendors' actions.
2. Partial Vendor Visibility is the Global Norm: Alarmingly, only 43% of organizations reportedly possess comprehensive audit logs for their vendors' sessions. A majority operate under partial visibility, leading to blind spots in compliance and forensic analysis.
3. Correlation Between Lack of Visibility and Incident Exposure: The scarcity of vendor visibility correlates with universal exposure to incidents, indicate findings from the report. Furthermore, implementing a Zero Trust framework shows measurable impacts, revealing a straightforward relationship between deeper zero trust adoption and improved session visibility, audit capacity, vendor enablement speed, and incident volatility reduction.
4. Governance and IT/OT Alignment Predict Success: Approximately 70% of organizations currently operate under shared governance models for IT and Operational Technology (OT)—a structure tied to more consistent balances between security, operational speed, and auditability. When this alignment falters, instances of vendor-related incidents can almost triple.
5. Challenges Due to Tool Fragmentation: Many organizations still utilize multiple parallel access tools such as VPNs, OEM utilities, PAM solutions, and emerging OT-focused platforms. As tool complexity rises, session visibility diminishes. Those employing three or more remote access tools experience lower visibility and heightened friction compared to consolidated environments.
Accelerated Push Towards Consolidation
The findings signify a pronounced market shift towards unified and identity-centered remote access platforms. Organizations adopting dedicated OT platforms report greater average session visibility, higher rates of complete audit logging, lesser incident exposure, faster vendor enablement, and improved IT/OT alignment compared to those lacking specialized platforms.
The report emphasizes that consolidation isn't merely about replacing legacy tools but managing access through a single operational control layer. This pivotal transition shifts remote access from a practical tool to a strategic control surface crucial for industrial operations. As regulatory pressures increase and vendor ecosystems broaden, industries trend towards:
- - Federated Vendor Control Models
- - Shared IT/OT Governance
- - Identity-Based Access Control
- - Time-Limited and Session-Based Permissions
- - Unified Auditing
Conclusively, the report illustrates a transition from fragmented and reactive access towards standardized, secure, and policy-driven remote operations, crucial amidst evolving cybersecurity landscapes.
About Secomea
Secomea is a specialized Secure Remote Access (SRA) solution designed for industrial networks and OT equipment. With over 8,000 clients worldwide, Secomea helps organizations manage secure remote access to their machines, minimize downtime, and bolster global operational cybersecurity. For more than 15 years, Secomea has supported machinery manufacturers and builders by providing a straightforward and scalable solution linking IT and OT requirements while ensuring necessary visibility, compliance, and control to safeguard production facilities.
For further insights, visit Secomea's official site.
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