OT, ICS and SCADA Penetration Testing

OT, ICS and SCADA Penetration Testing

We test the security of industrial networks, control systems and technologies used in manufacturing, energy and critical infrastructure. We assess IT and OT segmentation, remote access, industrial protocols, configurations and the risk of unauthorised interference with controlled processes.

We define the scope and testing methods to protect system availability, operational safety and production continuity. We evaluate every finding according to its real-world impact and provide specific recommendations for improving the resilience of your OT environment.

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OT, ICS and SCADA Penetration Testing

Why test the security of OT, ICS and SCADA systems?

OT environments control manufacturing, energy distribution, technological processes and critical infrastructure. A successful cyberattack may therefore cause more than a data breach. It can disrupt production, damage equipment, reduce product quality or endanger people.

Many industrial systems were designed for reliability and a long service life rather than protection against today’s cyber threats. Outdated components, insecure protocols, remote maintenance access and insufficient separation between IT and OT networks further increase the risk.

Penetration testing helps uncover potential attack paths before they are exploited by a real attacker. We adapt the testing to the sensitivity of your environment and perform it in a controlled manner to minimise the risk of outages or interference with physical processes.

Operational continuity

We uncover weaknesses that attackers could exploit to interrupt production, shut down technology or disrupt controlled processes.

Secure IT and OT integration

We assess network segmentation, communication flows and access controls between corporate IT and industrial environments.

Remote access security

We evaluate the security of VPNs, service accounts, third-party access and other methods used to manage technology remotely.

Better visibility into risks

We identify technical vulnerabilities and insecure configurations and explain their potential impact on your operations.

What can OT penetration testing uncover?

Testing can reveal vulnerabilities in individual devices as well as weaknesses arising from their connections to other systems. Common findings include:

After compromising the corporate network, an attacker may be able to reach systems that control production or technological processes.

Poorly protected VPNs, remote desktop services or maintenance access can provide a direct route into the OT environment.

Default, shared or easily guessed credentials may provide unauthorised access to devices and control systems.

Users, service accounts or applications may have access to functions they do not need to perform their tasks.

Legacy operating systems, firmware and software may contain known vulnerabilities without available or installed security patches.

Communication may take place without encryption, authentication or integrity controls, allowing attackers to intercept or manipulate it.

Unnecessary services, open ports and insecure settings can unnecessarily expand the attack surface.

A compromised workstation may allow an attacker to modify device configurations or interfere with controlled processes.

Missing or incomplete logs can make it difficult to detect an attack, investigate an incident and determine its actual scope.

An attacker may gain access to commands or configurations that affect the behaviour of devices and physical processes.

Free report

Discover the vulnerabilities uncovered by hundreds of real-world penetration tests

OT, ICS and SCADA systems connect industrial equipment, control technologies and corporate infrastructure. Download the free Ethical Hacker Report 2025 and discover the findings from 628 penetration tests and the analysis of 3,293 identified vulnerabilities across Citadelo projects.

  • The most common vulnerabilities found in real-world security projects
  • Changes in vulnerability trends compared with 2024
  • Analysis of infrastructure, applications, APIs, cloud and AI systems
  • Practical recommendations from experienced ethical hackers
Download the free report

Choose Your Penetration Testing Type

Penetration Testing

Penetration testing (pentesting) simulates real-world cyberattacks to identify vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. Learn how penetration testing works, what types of pentests we perform, what you receive after the test, and how we help you reduce cybersecurity risks.

Learn about pentesting

Web Applications

We test web applications against attacks such as SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), authentication flaws, and privilege escalation. Our web application penetration testing follows the OWASP Web Security Testing Guide and OWASP Top 10, with every finding manually verified.

Learn about web testing

Mobile Applications

Mobile application penetration testing for Android and iOS assesses the security of sensitive data, APIs, server communication, local storage, and the application's resilience against reverse engineering, rooting, jailbreaking, and other attack techniques.

Learn about mobile apps

Network Infrastructure and Internal Systems

We simulate attacks against internal and external infrastructure, including firewalls, VPNs, Active Directory, servers, and databases. Network infrastructure penetration testing assesses network configuration, segmentation, privilege escalation, and an attacker's ability to move laterally across systems.

Learn about infrastructure

Cloud Environments

We assess the security of AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) environments by simulating real-world attacks. Cloud penetration testing covers IAM, cloud storage, Kubernetes, network rules, and exposed services.

Learn about cloud testing

APIs and Microservices

API and microservices penetration testing assesses the security of REST, GraphQL, and other APIs, including communication between microservices. We test OAuth, JWT, API gateways, authorization, input validation, and API resilience based on the OWASP API Security Top 10.

Learn about APIs

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Would you like to test the security of your OT, ICS or SCADA systems?

Book a free 15-minute consultation. Together, we will define a safe testing scope based on your infrastructure, operational constraints and the criticality of your controlled processes.

Book a Free Consultation

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