Operational Technology: Rethinking Resilience Beyond Backup

Introduction: The Urgency Around Operational Technology

Operational technology (OT) sits at the center of modern industry, powering the systems that move ships, produce energy, manufacture goods, and deliver healthcare. These environments cannot simply pause - every second of disruption risks safety, revenue, and trust. A single outage in OT can ripple through entire supply chains, stall national infrastructure, or delay life-saving treatments.

Historically, companies relied on backup operational technology strategies to protect against disruption. The assumption was simple: if something breaks, restore from backup. But attackers have grown more sophisticated, systems more complex, and recovery times more unforgiving. The critical question is no longer “Do we have a backup?” but “How quickly can we bring operations back online?”

What is Operational Technology (OT)?

Operational technology refers to the specialized hardware and software systems used to directly monitor, control, and automate physical processes. These systems interact with the real world in ways that IT systems do not - they open valves, stop assembly lines, regulate electricity grids, and control medical equipment.

OT is found in nearly every critical industry. Examples include:

• SCADA systems used in power plants and water facilities.

• Distributed Control Systems (DCS) that balance loads across energy grids.

• Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) where operators view and manage machine activity.

• Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) that run industrial automation with precise timing.

The critical distinction is this: IT systems can be restored without immediate harm to the physical world. OT, however, directly governs machinery, production, and even life-support systems. If OT fails, the effects are immediate and visible - production stops, services halt, and safety is at risk. This makes operational technology one of the most mission-critical elements of modern infrastructure.

Operational Technology vs. Information Technology

While IT and OT are often spoken of together, they serve entirely different functions, and their resilience requirements diverge significantly.

Purpose and Function

• IT systems handle business data - emails, ERP systems, financial records, customer databases.

• OT systems ensure the physical processes that generate electricity, move ships, or run assembly lines.

Downtime Tolerance

• IT outages disrupt workflows but can sometimes be absorbed with workarounds or delays.

• OT outages immediately stop physical processes. A factory line cannot “catch up” lost time easily; a hospital cannot delay patient care safely.

System Lifespan

• IT hardware/software refreshes regularly, often every 3-5 years.

• OT equipment frequently runs for decades, often using outdated operating systems that can’t be patched. This longevity increases vulnerability.

Security Approach

• IT security layers in firewalls, endpoint protection, and regular patching.

• OT security has historically emphasized safety and uptime, with cybersecurity as a secondary concern. As a result, many OT environments remain soft targets.

Organizational Culture

• IT teams focus on protecting data integrity and preventing breaches.

• OT teams prioritize uninterrupted operations and physical reliability.

• Bridging this cultural divide remains a challenge for many organizations.

The takeaway: operational technology cannot simply adopt IT’s approaches to backup and recovery. Its unique role and risk profile demand purpose-built resilience.

Why Operational Technology is Under Attack

Over the past decade, attackers have increasingly shifted their attention from stealing data to halting operations. This is because operational disruption offers immediate financial leverage.

The motivations include:

• High ransom potential. Attackers know that downtime in OT environments costs millions per hour. Victims often have little choice but to pay.

• Exploitable legacy systems. Many OT assets run outdated Windows XP or proprietary firmware that cannot be patched.

• Expanded attack surface. With IT/OT convergence, an attack on the IT network often provides pathways into OT systems.

• Low cybersecurity awareness among OT staff. Engineers and operators are experts in process control but often lack training in cyber hygiene, making phishing and misconfigurations common entry points.

Real-world consequences

• A ransomware attack in 2021 forced a major U.S. fuel pipeline offline for nearly a week, disrupting gas supplies across the East Coast.

• Automotive plants have reported robotic assembly line outages lasting days due to malware.

• Hospitals have delayed surgeries because malware locked medical imaging systems.

The lesson is clear: operational technology is an attractive, vulnerable, and highly lucrative target for attackers.

The Cost of OT Downtime

Downtime in OT is not measured only in dollars - it is measured in safety, trust, and societal impact.

• Financial losses: Industrial companies lose an average of $260,000 per hour of downtime. For high-volume manufacturers, this number is often higher.

• Safety risks: Malfunctioning control systems can cause dangerous conditions in chemical plants or disrupt emergency response systems.

• Supply chain impacts: A single inoperative port crane delays shipments globally, disrupting commerce far beyond the initial site.

• Reputation damage: Customers and governments view resilience as a sign of reliability. Failure to recover damages long-term trust.

• Employee stress: Recovery under pressure leads to mistakes, prolonging downtime and increasing risk.

The reality is stark: operational technology downtime is unacceptable. Even a short disruption can create ripples across industries, economies, and communities.

Why Traditional Backup Operational Technology Falls Short

For years, organizations leaned on backup operational technology methods such as nightly file backups, mirrored storage, and server snapshots. While these practices preserve information, they fail to provide true resilience.

Key shortcomings include:

• Slow recovery. Restoring large systems can take hours or days, during which critical processes remain offline.

• Backup vulnerability. Attackers deliberately target and corrupt backups, knowing they are an organization’s last defense.

• Complex restoration. Rebuilding OT environments requires reinstalling operating systems, reapplying drivers, and restoring unique configurations - an arduous process under stress.

• Not OT-ready. Backup tools were designed for IT servers, not decades-old PLCs or HMIs running unique software.

In short, backup operational technology addresses storage, not continuity. True resilience requires a recovery-first mindset.

Recovery-First Thinking: A New Model for OT Resilience

Resilient organizations are shifting from backup-focused strategies to recovery-first models. Instead of asking, “Do we have backups?” they ask, “How fast can we restart operations with confidence?”

Recovery-first thinking emphasizes:

• Isolation. Clean copies stored offline and untouchable by malware.

• Bootable environments. Full system states preserved, not just raw data.

• Continuous validation. Regular checks to confirm recovery points still function.

• Operational simplicity. Restoration must be executable by frontline operators, not just IT experts.

This philosophy transforms operational technology from a weak point into a foundation for resilience.

Salvador’s CRU: Redefining OT Resilience

Salvador’s Cyber Recovery Unit (CRU) embodies the recovery-first approach. Unlike backup operational technology solutions that focus on storing data, CRU ensures operations themselves can continue.

Hardware innovation

• Three NVMe drives labeled Factory Reset, Current, and Previous.

• At least two drives are always offline, immune to malware.

• Rugged, fanless, tamper-resistant design built for industrial settings.

Patented switching technology

• Ensures clean copies remain invisible to malware.

• Allows safe switching to verified, known-good states.

Software and monitoring

• Lightweight agent captures snapshots, detects anomalies, and validates recovery points.

• Centralized dashboards provide visibility across multiple facilities.

Recovery workflow

• During an incident, operators simply reboot and select the CRU.

• Full systems—including OS, applications, and configurations—return in seconds.

• No scripts, IT staff, or lengthy processes required.

CRU makes operational technology resilience simple, fast, and dependable.

Read our article on operational technology for more insights into cybersecurity strategies that strengthen resilience.

Real-World Applications Across Industries

The value of CRU is best seen in practice:

• Ports and logistics: Ashdod Port replaced manual crane backups with CRUs, cutting recovery times from hours to seconds and keeping trade flowing.

• Healthcare: Hospitals protect imaging systems and EMRs with CRUs, allowing clinicians to regain access instantly after malware or patch failures.

• Manufacturing: Global automotive plants have deployed CRUs across robotic lines, restoring operations within a minute after ransomware incidents.

• Energy and utilities: CRUs help operators stabilize power systems quickly during outages, preventing cascading blackouts.

In each case, CRU proved what backup operational technology could not: that operations, not just data, remain protected.

The Future of Operational Technology Resilience

The evolution of operational technology is accelerating. With IT/OT convergence, edge computing, and industrial IoT adoption, attack surfaces are expanding. Traditional backup methods will continue to struggle in this future.

The path forward requires:

• Distributed recovery. Recovery-first systems must be deployable at the edge, close to the assets they protect.

• Hardware-anchored trust. Physical separation ensures resilience even if networks are compromised.

• Metrics that matter. Recovery must be measured in “time-to-confidence,” not just restore time.

Salvador Technologies is pioneering this future today, ensuring industries keep running no matter what.

Conclusion: Rethinking Operational Technology Resilience

Operational technology powers the industries that keep societies safe, healthy, and productive. Protecting it requires more than traditional backups. Attackers are smarter, systems are older, and downtime is costlier than ever before. Backup alone cannot shoulder the burden.

Salvador Technologies’ CRU shifts the focus from storage to continuity. With its patented air-gapped design, offline protection, and near-instant recovery, CRU ensures OT systems restart in seconds, not days. It turns backups into guaranteed uptime and transforms resilience from an aspiration into a reality.

Don’t settle for backup operational technology alone—equip your organization with recovery-first resilience. Contact us to request a demo of Salvador’s CRU today and see operational continuity in action.

FAQs

What makes operational technology different from IT systems?

Operational technology directly manages physical processes—running factories, ports, grids, and hospitals—whereas IT manages data and workflows. Downtime in IT is disruptive but often manageable; downtime in OT can stop production, compromise safety, and harm entire economies. OT systems also tend to run for decades, often on outdated platforms that can’t be patched easily, making them more vulnerable. These differences require a distinct resilience approach beyond what IT backup tools can provide.

Why isn’t backup operational technology enough anymore?

Traditional backup operational technology captures data, but it doesn’t guarantee rapid recovery. Restoring from backup may take hours or days, and in that time, operations remain paralyzed. Attackers now target backup systems themselves, encrypting or deleting them. Even if backups are intact, rebuilding OT environments requires reconfiguring software and drivers, which is slow and error-prone. Recovery-first platforms like Salvador’s CRU solve this by ensuring entire, clean systems reboot instantly.

How fast can Salvador’s CRU restore operations?

Salvador’s CRU restores systems in seconds. Unlike conventional backup tools that require full reinstallation, CRU boots directly into a verified system image with all configurations intact. This near-instant speed means factories resume production, hospitals restart imaging, and ports bring cranes back online almost immediately. In industries where every minute of downtime costs millions, this difference is transformative.

Where should organizations deploy CRU first?

Deployment should begin with the most critical OT endpoints—control stations, HMIs, and engineering workstations that directly affect uptime. These systems are often single points of failure. Once they are protected, organizations can expand CRU coverage across additional sites and servers. This phased approach builds confidence, provides quick wins, and ultimately establishes consistent resilience across the enterprise.

How does CRU complement existing backup operational technology strategies?

CRU doesn’t replace traditional backups; it enhances them. Backups still provide long-term retention, forensic evidence, and compliance archives. CRU ensures operational continuity by delivering boot-ready system images offline and protected. Together, they create a layered strategy: backups for history, CRU for uptime. This combination turns data protection into business resilience.