That is why there is a clear interest in bridging network and security skills, and a very real need to build hands-on experience, which is true where IT and OT come together.
When it comes to cybersecurity, OT environments have unique needs. Availability and safety come first, and practices such as routine patching or active scanning may be impractical, or may risk disrupting critical equipment, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs).
To support these changing skill needs, Cisco unveiled two updates:
- A new Cisco OT Security Practitioner certification
- A new release of Cisco Modeling Labs
Cisco released its Cisco OT Security Practitioner certification for early-career professionals entering the field of operational technology security.
Operational technologies (OT) serve as the backbone for critical infrastructure, including power grids, transportation networks, and manufacturing facilities. These environments rely on legacy systems that reached end-of-life and sometimes have poor cybersecurity controls.
OT Security Professionals
As organizations accelerate their digital transformation, they are looking for OT security practitioners. Implementing robust, specialized controls is essential to modernize operations, mitigate risk, and meet increasingly stringent cybersecurity regulatory requirements.
Cisco Cyber Vision, a dedicated cybersecurity product for the OT space, is woven into the network fabric itself, serving two strategic objectives: It transforms the industrial network into a cyber defense system, and it provides IT security tools with the granular OT context required.
Building on recent updates to Cisco Security training and certifications, this certification focuses on practical OT security skills: Segmenting industrial networks, monitoring ICS traffic, and responding to incidents on the plant floor.
This new certification gives OT practitioners, IT professionals moving into industrial environments, and students a real, hands-on entry point. It provides a pathway to understand how industrial networks, connected devices, automation, ICS, and cybersecurity work together. It’s one that didn’t exist at this level before.
OT Security Practitioner training should release in Cisco U. on November 5, and through Cisco Networking Academy in January 2027.
The OT Security Practitioner exam will go live for testing on February 3, 2027, ahead of Cisco Live London. Exam topics are now available.
Click here for more information about the OT Security Practitioner certification.
Certifications help you define what to learn. Hands-on practice helps you apply it. Cisco Modeling Labs gives you a place to build, test, and troubleshoot as you expand your skills.
Modeling Labs
The latest release, CML 2.11, launching November 11 adds updates that support certification preparation and more efficient lab management:
- Kali Linux support, uses an attacker or tester node to trigger network alerts and validate Cisco defenses while prepping for the CCNP Security core exam (350-701 SCOR)
- Single Sign-On integration with OIDC, OAuth2, and SAML, helping align lab access with enterprise identity practices and with identity management concepts covered in the CCNP Enterprise core exam (350-401 ENCOR)
- Cluster support for wireless nodes, making it easier to simulate larger wireless architectures, prep for the CCNP Enterprise Wireless Design (ENWLSD) and Implementation (ENWLSI) exams
- A Download All Labs feature to back up, migrate, or audit large lab collections in one operation, perfect for anyone managing a heavy CCIE study load