Operational technology (OT) - technology used to control manufacturing or production devices - can be hard to inventory and secure. Organizations that operate multiple network systems or use tools that can’t easily be deployed on OT infrastructure must ensure their scanning efforts don't undermine containment efforts, and that threat actors can't leverage tools that accesses multiple networks for malicious purposes.

In contrast, cloud inventory can be perceived as easy because things tend to be more automated. But as non-IT employees are being given the permission to create cloud-based assets, it can be hard to maintain control of your cloud inventory. Moreover, some on-premises asset inventories may not include cloud assets automatically. Both inventories are needed to account for potential blind spots.

The journey to the cloud can provide a clean start. Maximize the opportunity by creating clean and proper processes. Leverage native capabilities of cloud environments, followed by third-party tools. Some cloud providers make things so easy to get started, it can be tempting to underestimate your role in securing your assets, but you must pay close attention to your cloud resources as these are becoming the new toys for threat actors.