Rockwell Automation expands SecureOT with managed firewall and infrastructure services
New offerings include Fortinet firewall management and broader infrastructure support to help manufacturers reduce OT security complexity.
Key points
- Rockwell Automation adds Firewall Managed Services supporting Fortinet FortiGate hardware to its SecureOT suite.
- Infrastructure Managed Services now covers Industrial Data Centers, VersaVirtual Appliances, switches and firewalls.
- The services address rising cyber risks and staffing shortages by providing round-the-clock monitoring and maintenance.
Rockwell Automation announced on Tuesday that it is expanding its SecureOT industrial cybersecurity portfolio with two new managed service offerings. The company introduced Firewall Managed Services, which now supports Fortinet FortiGate devices, and Infrastructure Managed Services, which broadens support for existing customer-owned industrial network and compute environments.
The Firewall Managed Services extension allows Rockwell to manage Fortinet firewalls on behalf of manufacturing customers. This includes handling monitoring, alarm management, rule changes, patching and firmware updates. According to Industrial Cyber, this integration gives manufacturers access to high-performance security features backed by FortiGuard Labs OT threat data while reducing total cost of ownership compared to many alternative solutions.
Context and Background
Rockwell stated that these additions aim to provide manufacturers with greater flexibility in securing and managing operational technology environments. The company noted that cyber threats targeting industrial operations are increasing while skilled OT security resources remain difficult to source. Consequently, manufacturers are seeking methods to strengthen resilience without adding operational complexity to their internal teams.
Recent research from Rockwell indicates that cybersecurity now ranks among the top external business risks for manufacturers. This shift reflects growing concern as IT and OT environments become more interconnected. The new managed services are designed to offer around-the-clock professional management, monitoring and maintenance to help organizations reduce risk, improve resiliency and sustain uptime through a single point of contact.
Who Is Affected
The Infrastructure Managed Services offering is designed to strengthen operational resiliency across industrial network and compute environments. It combines 24/7 global support and secure monitoring with hardware lifecycle management. According to the report, this solution helps industrial organizations maintain high availability, decrease operating costs and reduce cyber risks through turnkey management of defensible architectures.
Specific hardware and environments covered by Infrastructure Managed Services include Industrial Data Centers, VersaVirtual Appliances, network switches and firewalls. The service model aims to simplify operations by providing one managed service contract and one professional team. This approach is intended to remove the burden of day-to-day maintenance from the customer, allowing them to focus on core manufacturing activities rather than infrastructure upkeep.
What should you do?
Organizations using Rockwell Automation products should review the updated SecureOT service offerings to determine if managed services align with their current security gaps. Facilities relying on Fortinet FortiGate firewalls should evaluate whether outsourcing management to Rockwell could simplify their patching and rule-change processes. Companies facing OT security staffing shortages should assess the total cost of ownership benefits described in the announcement.
What to do and how to stay safe: Rockwell Automation
- Review current OT security staffing levels to determine if outsourcing firewall management could alleviate resource constraints.
- Audit existing Fortinet FortiGate deployments to ensure they are compatible with Rockwell’s new managed service requirements.
- Evaluate the lifecycle management needs of Industrial Data Centers and VersaVirtual Appliances for potential inclusion in managed contracts.
- Consult with Rockwell Automation representatives to understand the specific scope of monitoring and patching included in the service tiers.
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
Does Rockwell now manage Fortinet firewalls as part of SecureOT?
Yes, Rockwell Automation announced that its Firewall Managed Services now supports Fortinet FortiGate firewalls, handling monitoring, patching and updates.
What hardware is covered by Infrastructure Managed Services?
The service covers Industrial Data Centers, VersaVirtual Appliances, network switches and firewalls, providing lifecycle management and 24/7 support.
Why is Rockwell expanding its managed service offerings?
The company cites increasing cyber threats, a shortage of skilled OT security resources and the growing connectivity between IT and OT environments as drivers.
