Expansion of Managed Security Services by Ontinue, to fortify the escalating threat landscape of IoT/OT attacks
In a bid to fortify the digital defences of organisations, Ontinue, a leading provider of AI-powered managed extended detection and response (MXDR) services, has announced the expansion of its offerings to include Internet of Things (IoT) and Operational Technology (OT) environments. This development comes in the form of a new add-on service called Ontinue ION for IoT Security.
The service, designed in conjunction with Microsoft Defender for IoT, aims to bridge the gap between IT and OT security, offering unified protection for both environments. By extending its ION MXDR service to include OT security, Ontinue seeks to provide Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) with the tools and expertise needed to address evolving threats with confidence, thereby enhancing resilience across IT and OT landscapes.
The need for such a service is evident, given the rising tide of cyber threats. Recent research indicates that nearly one-third of organisations experienced six or more intrusions in 2024, a significant increase from 11% the previous year. This underscores the growing vulnerability of organisations as they integrate more IoT and OT devices into their operations.
Ontinue's ION for IoT Security service offers several key benefits. It provides real-time asset management, using Microsoft Defender for IoT's passive network sensor, enabling organisations with limited or no visibility and control over their IoT and OT assets to rapidly increase their security maturity.
One of the standout features of the service is its advanced AI-powered incident investigations and autonomous security operations. ION MXDR leverages agentic AI to automate complex incident investigations, cutting investigation times by up to 50%. This is crucial as IoT environments often involve numerous interconnected devices and expanding attack surfaces.
The autonomous investigative capabilities allow ION to resolve 99.5% of incidents without needing customer input, greatly reducing the operational burden on security teams. Furthermore, the service's multi-agentic AI approach enables hypothesis-based investigations using human-like reasoning and creativity at machine speed, essential for the sophisticated and evolving nature of IoT threats.
The service also offers security operations scalability and efficiency by automating time-consuming manual investigations, saving security teams hundreds of hours and allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks. Additionally, every step of the AI-driven investigation is fully auditable, and the system incorporates human feedback to enhance its reasoning, enabling continuous refinement tailored to the customer’s specific security context.
Henning Christiansen, the CISO at Ottobock, emphasises the critical importance of securing OT environments for uninterrupted production and delivering life-changing products. Ontinue's new ION for IoT Security aims to help CISOs safeguard critical operational environments with the same robust protections relied upon for IT environments.
In summary, Ontinue’s ION for IoT Security service stands out by combining advanced agentic AI-driven autonomous investigations with operational scalability, high resolution rates, and continuous adaptive learning, making it especially effective for managing the security challenges of IoT ecosystems. This development is set to redefine the landscape of cybersecurity, offering organisations a robust and adaptive solution to the ever-evolving threat landscape.
[1] Ontinue, (2023). Ontinue ION for IoT Security: The Next Frontier in AI-Powered Cybersecurity. Retrieved from https://www.ontinue.com/blog/ontinue-ion-for-iot-security-the-next-frontier-in-ai-powered-cybersecurity [2] Microsoft, (2023). Microsoft Defender for IoT. Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business-applications/defender-for-iot [3] Ontinue, (2023). The Future of AI in Cybersecurity: Ontinue ION MXDR. Retrieved from https://www.ontinue.com/blog/the-future-of-ai-in-cybersecurity-ontinue-ion-mxdr
- Ontinue's new ION for IoT Security service, designed with Microsoft Defender for IoT, targets the integration of IT and OT security, providing enhanced protection for industries relying on Internet of Things (IoT) and Operational Technology (OT) environments.
- This service, offering real-time asset management, advanced AI-powered incident investigations, and autonomous security operations, aims to empower Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) with the necessary tools and expertise to navigate the growing threat landscape in finance, energy, and other sectors.
- By automating complex investigations and focusing on high-value tasks, Ontinue's ION for IoT Security service integrates data-and-cloud-computing technologies and AI capabilities, striving to minimise cyber attacks in technology-driven industries, thereby safeguarding the critical infrastructure of organisations globally.
