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Why Cisco Cyber Vision rocks: the game-changer for industrial cybersecurity

Home » Blog » Why Cisco Cyber Vision rocks: the game-changer for industrial cybersecurity
Iztok Umek Instructor
5 September 2025

Are your industrial networks hiding vulnerabilities that could bring your operations to a screeching halt? If you’re managing manufacturing plants, utilities, or critical infrastructure, you’re facing cybersecurity threats that traditional IT security tools simply cannot handle. The convergence of operational technology (OT) and enterprise networks has created dangerous blind spots that sophisticated attackers are eager to exploit.

Cisco Cyber Vision changes everything. This revolutionary platform delivers complete visibility into your OT environment while seamlessly integrating with existing IT security infrastructure. Unlike traditional solutions requiring complex deployments, Cyber Vision works with your network—not against it. In this guide, we’ll explore why this solution is transforming industrial cybersecurity and represents a fundamental breakthrough in protecting critical infrastructure.

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The industrial security challenge

Manufacturing has become the most targeted sector for cyberattacks for three consecutive years, accounting for over 25% of all incidents. The financial impact is staggering—attack costs are increasing by 125% annually, making cyber risk the third biggest external threat to manufacturers.

The convergence of IT and OT systems has fundamentally changed the threat landscape. What once were isolated industrial control systems are now interconnected with enterprise networks, exposing critical infrastructure to sophisticated nation-state actors, ransomware groups, and advanced persistent threats. Industrial cyberattacks can halt production, compromise safety systems, and cause physical damage to equipment.

Legacy systems present particularly acute vulnerabilities. Many OT environments contain equipment running for decades without security updates, often from vendors who no longer provide support. Organisations lack full visibility of OT activities, creating the perfect storm: attackers targeting industrial systems while organisations lack insight needed to detect and respond effectively.

Instructor Robert Lesar
Robert Lesar Instructor
Event

Cisco Cyber Vision in Action: How to Secure Your OT Network

15 November 2024
In a world where industrial systems and operational technology (OT) are increasingly interconnected, we face growing cyber threats that can compromise the operation of critical […]
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What makes Cisco Cyber Vision revolutionary

Cisco Cyber Vision is purpose-built for industrial environments, addressing unique challenges that traditional IT security tools cannot handle. At its core, the platform solves the fundamental problem: you can’t secure what you don’t know exists.

  • Complete asset discovery and visibility
  • Cyber Vision automatically builds a comprehensive inventory of all connected industrial assets, including communication patterns, vulnerabilities, vendor information, and operational relationships. This goes beyond simple device discovery—it provides deep insights into how your industrial network operates, creating a living map of your OT environment.
  • Revolutionary embedded architecture
  • Unlike competitors requiring dedicated appliances, Cyber Vision sensors are embedded directly in select Cisco networking equipment including Catalyst IE3300, IE3400, Catalyst 9300 series switches, and IR8300 rugged routers. This embedded approach eliminates deployment complexity while providing unprecedented visibility—no additional hardware, no complex configurations, no operational disruption.
  • Intelligent threat detection
  • Powered by Cisco Talos intelligence—one of the world’s leading cybersecurity research teams—Cyber Vision provides threat detection rules specifically curated for industrial environments. The platform combines behavioral analysis with signature-based detection, automatically learning normal operations and flagging anomalies indicating security threats or operational issues.
  • Seamless IT/OT integration
  • Cyber Vision bridges the historical divide between IT and OT teams by feeding detailed asset inventory and security events to your existing security infrastructure. Deep integration with Cisco’s security portfolio creates a unified security operations center where OT visibility becomes part of your comprehensive ecosystem.

Operational benefits that transform your business

Reduced downtime through proactive detection

Cyber Vision continuously monitors all OT communications to identify device problems before they disrupt production. Organisations report significant reductions in unplanned downtime by transitioning from reactive to proactive maintenance strategies. The platform detects network issues, device malfunctions, and unusual communication patterns, enabling maintenance teams to address problems during scheduled windows.

Enhanced network performance and optimisation

Beyond security benefits, Cyber Vision provides valuable insights into industrial network performance and efficiency. The platform identifies communication bottlenecks, suboptimal configurations, and process inefficiencies, helping organisations optimise operations while maintaining security. Many users discover network optimisation opportunities providing immediate return on investment through improved production efficiency.

Streamlined compliance and reporting

Automated documentation and reporting capabilities significantly reduce administrative overhead while ensuring regulatory requirements are met. The platform automatically generates comprehensive reports on security posture, asset inventory, and operational events, providing executives with documentation needed for incident reports and regulatory compliance.

Faster incident response

Deep integration with existing security tools accelerates threat investigation and remediation workflows. When security events are detected, teams can immediately pivot to Cisco XDR with full OT context, launching detailed investigations across both IT and OT domains.

Cisco Cyber Vision gives you insight into devices and what they do.

Deployment advantages that matter

Minimal network impact

Cyber Vision sensors decode industrial network traffic at the edge and transmit only lightweight metadata to the management center, significantly reducing network traffic compared to standard SPAN solutions. This efficient architecture prevents network overload and maintains performance standards critical for industrial operations.

Flexible implementation options

For environments where embedded sensors aren’t feasible, Cyber Vision supports deployment using Cisco IC3000 industrial compute gateways, docker sensors, or existing SPAN collection infrastructure. The platform supports virtual deployments on VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and cloud platforms including AWS and Microsoft Azure.

Automated management at scale

Organisations can deploy infrastructure across multiple sites in minutes with automatic sensor updates without service interruption. The Global Center architecture enables centralised management of up to 20 local centres, providing unified visibility across distributed industrial operations.

Real-world success stories

Pascal Pauwels, Infrastructure Director at Unilin Group, shared: “We have firewalls, but little visibility into what’s behind them. Cyber Vision shows us exactly what devices are connected, how much traffic they generate, what profiles they have and who has remote access to them.” This visibility transformation enabled proactive security management and significantly improved their overall security posture.

Kristen Sanders, CISO at Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, explained: “Our OT team didn’t understand the nuances of cybersecurity, and we in IT didn’t know the technologies they used every day. Cisco Cyber Vision gave us insight into exactly what devices we have and what they do.”

Getting started with Cisco Cyber Vision

Assessment and planning

Begin with a comprehensive audit of your existing industrial network infrastructure, identifying critical assets, communication flows, and current security gaps. This assessment should inventory network equipment that could support embedded sensors and existing integration points. Cisco Cyber Vision can be a tremendous help with this step.

Pilot implementation strategy

Start with a representative section of your industrial network that includes diverse device types and protocols. Focus on critical production areas where visibility gaps pose the greatest risk, enabling validation of capabilities while minimizing initial investment.

Team alignment and training

Establish cross-functional teams with representatives from both IT and OT domains to address cultural differences and ensure security measures don’t compromise operational requirements.

The future of industrial security starts now

Industrial cybersecurity has reached a critical inflection point where traditional approaches cannot address the scale and sophistication of modern threats targeting OT environments. Cisco Cyber Vision represents a fundamental breakthrough—delivering comprehensive protection without compromising the reliability and efficiency that industrial operations demand.

The platform’s embedded architecture eliminates deployment complexity while providing unprecedented visibility across industrial environments. By combining advanced threat detection with intuitive operational insights, Cyber Vision enables organizations to proactively protect critical infrastructure while optimizing performance.

Most importantly, Cyber Vision bridges the historical divide between IT and OT teams, creating unified security operations that extend protection into previously invisible industrial networks. For organizations serious about protecting their industrial operations while embracing digital transformation, Cyber Vision provides the foundation for building resilient, secure, and efficient industrial networks.

Ready to transform your industrial security? Explore expert-led training programs at NIL Learning to master Cisco Cyber Vision deployment and management, ensuring you maximize this powerful platform’s value while building the skills needed to secure your critical infrastructure effectively.