Log management for critical infrastructure focused on centralized OT/IT logging, alerting, and audit readiness. Supports alignment with NERC CIP and related frameworks through centralized collection, RBAC, automation, and export capabilities. Designed to reduce noise upstream via ingest deduplication and to integrate with existing workflows through webhooks and scripts. Common frameworks referenced by customers: NERC CIP, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, IEC 62443, TSA Pipeline Security.
Key Benefits
- Centralized OT/IT Log Visibility - Unify logs from ICS/OT and IT systems using standard transports (syslog/SNMP/HTTP) for investigation and search
- Upstream Noise Reduction - Deduplicate repetitive events at ingest and forward optimized data to downstream SIEM/tools to reduce cost and fatigue
- Automation and Workflows - Use triggers, webhooks, and script execution to notify, enrich, or orchestrate response in existing systems
- Audit Readiness - Role-based access control and export capabilities help support compliance evidence collection and review
Reference Capabilities
- Receiving Data — syslog/SNMP/HTTP and platform guides
- Alerts: Automations — triggers, thresholds, orchestrations
- Trigger Scripts — run scripts with event context
- Dedup Forwarder — reduce duplicates, control forwarding
- RBAC — data segmentation and least-privilege access
Purpose-Built Features
- Standards-Based Ingest — Syslog/SNMP/HTTP receivers; Windows and cloud sources documented under Receiving Data
- Event Correlation & Triggers — Threshold and pattern matching with script/webhook actions for notification and orchestration
- RBAC & Segmentation — Restrict data visibility and UI capabilities by team/role to support separation of duties
- Forwarding & Cost Control — Deduplicate at ingest and forward to SIEMs or archives to reduce storage/licensing impact while preserving signal
- Search & Exports — Boolean search with export via API/CSV/XLSX for audit and reporting workflows
Common Use Cases
NERC CIP Compliance Automation
Automate NERC CIP compliance with continuous monitoring of critical cyber assets, real-time security event logging, and complete audit trails.
Challenge: NERC CIP requires continuous monitoring of critical cyber assets but manual compliance processes are resource-intensive and often miss critical events. NERC CIP requires continuous monitoring of critical cyber assets, real-time security event logging, and comprehensive audit trails with automated incident reporting for regulatory compliance. Traditional approaches struggle with the complexity of industrial control systems and the stringent documentation requirements for regulatory audits.
LogZilla Solution: Automated NERC CIP compliance monitoring with real-time critical cyber asset monitoring, automated incident reporting, and complete audit trails that reduce compliance overhead by 85%. Our NERC CIP solution includes:
- Critical Cyber Asset Monitoring: Automated identification and continuous monitoring of all critical cyber assets with real-time status reporting and compliance validation
- Security Event Correlation: Advanced correlation of security events across OT and IT environments with NERC CIP-specific threat detection and incident classification
- Automated Incident Reporting: Real-time incident detection and automated regulatory reporting with NERC CIP-compliant documentation and evidence collection
- Compliance Documentation: Automated generation of NERC CIP compliance reports with audit-ready evidence and regulatory submission workflows
- Change Management Integration: Integration with change management processes to ensure all modifications to critical cyber assets are properly documented and approved
Implementation Process:
- Week 1: Deploy monitoring infrastructure and establish critical cyber asset inventory and baseline configurations
- Week 2: Implement security event correlation and NERC CIP-specific threat detection rules
- Week 3: Configure automated incident reporting and compliance documentation workflows
- Week 4: Conduct compliance validation and establish ongoing regulatory reporting procedures
Measurable Outcomes:
- 85% reduction in NERC CIP compliance overhead through automated monitoring and reporting
- Real-time critical cyber asset monitoring with immediate security event detection
- Automated regulatory incident reporting with NERC CIP-compliant documentation and evidence
- Complete audit trails for regulatory examination and compliance validation
NERC CIP Audit Prep Checklist
Teams can use this short, practical checklist before each audit window. For a utility example of applying these practices, see the EnerGeo case study.
| Pre‑audit task | | --- | | Validate current list of critical cyber assets and owners. | | Confirm incident reporting workflow, contacts, and time thresholds. | | Review last quarter’s change tickets mapped to CIP controls. | | Spot‑check evidence packages (screenshots, logs, and sign‑offs). | | Verify retention settings and chain‑of‑custody procedures. |
OT Network Security Monitoring
Security monitoring of operational technology networks with protocol-aware threat detection.
Challenge: Traditional IT security tools cannot effectively monitor OT networks due to different protocols, availability requirements, and operational constraints.
LogZilla Solution: OT-specific security monitoring with industrial protocol analysis, non-intrusive monitoring, and operational continuity protection.
Nation-State Attack Detection
Advanced threat detection specifically designed to identify sophisticated attacks targeting critical infrastructure.
Challenge: Critical infrastructure faces sophisticated nation-state attacks that traditional security tools cannot detect or respond to effectively.
LogZilla Solution: Advanced behavioral analytics and threat detection specifically tuned for critical infrastructure attack patterns including living-off-the-land techniques.
Industrial Process Anomaly Detection
Monitor industrial processes for both cybersecurity threats and operational anomalies that could indicate system compromise.
Challenge: Cyber attacks on critical infrastructure often manifest as operational anomalies, but traditional security tools cannot correlate operational and security data.
LogZilla Solution: Integrated operational and security monitoring with machine learning-based anomaly detection for both cybersecurity and process safety threats.
Critical Infrastructure Challenges
Critical infrastructure organizations face unique cybersecurity challenges that require specialized approaches to operational technology (OT) security and regulatory compliance. Traditional IT security solutions often cannot address the specific requirements of industrial control systems and critical infrastructure environments.
OT/IT Convergence Security Complexity
The convergence of operational technology and information technology creates new attack vectors and security challenges that traditional security tools cannot address. OT/IT convergence creates new attack vectors requiring specialized monitoring that understands industrial protocols while maintaining operational continuity. This convergence results in:
- Protocol Complexity: Industrial protocols like Modbus, DNP3, and IEC 61850 require specialized monitoring approaches that traditional IT security tools cannot provide
- Availability Requirements: Critical infrastructure systems require 99.99% uptime, making traditional security approaches that could impact operations unsuitable
- Legacy System Integration: Aging industrial control systems lack modern security features and require non-intrusive monitoring approaches
- Real-Time Constraints: Industrial processes operate in real-time with microsecond timing requirements that security monitoring cannot disrupt attack vectors and monitoring challenges, as traditional IT security tools cannot effectively monitor OT environments due to different protocols, availability requirements, and operational constraints.
Nation-State and Advanced Persistent Threats
Critical infrastructure organizations are primary targets for nation-state actors and advanced persistent threat (APT) groups. These sophisticated attacks often use living-off-the-land techniques, zero-day exploits, and long-term persistence strategies that require advanced detection capabilities beyond traditional security monitoring.
Critical infrastructure faces nation-state attacks that target industrial control systems and operational technology with sophisticated techniques.
NERC CIP and Regulatory Compliance
Electric utilities and other critical infrastructure organizations must comply with NERC CIP requirements for cybersecurity. These regulations require continuous monitoring, incident reporting, and complete audit trails for critical cyber assets. Manual compliance processes are resource-intensive and often incomplete.
Operational Continuity Requirements
Critical infrastructure systems cannot tolerate security monitoring that impacts operational availability or performance. Security solutions must provide full visibility while maintaining zero impact on critical operational systems and processes.
LogZilla's Critical Infrastructure Approach
LogZilla provides a log management platform specifically designed for critical infrastructure organizations' unique operational and security requirements. Our solution addresses OT/IT convergence, advanced threat detection, and regulatory compliance challenges.
OT-Aware Security Architecture
LogZilla's platform includes native support for industrial protocols and operational technology environments. Our OT-aware architecture provides full security monitoring without impacting operational systems or requiring changes to critical infrastructure.
Advanced Threat Detection for Critical Infrastructure
Our platform includes threat detection capabilities specifically designed for critical infrastructure environments, including nation-state attack patterns, industrial process anomalies, and sophisticated persistence techniques targeting critical systems.
NERC CIP Alignment
LogZilla supports NERC CIP‑aligned practices through centralized logging, alerting/automations, RBAC, and search/exports. Teams use these capabilities to assemble evidence and streamline reviews.
Implementation Approach
Phase 1: OT Asset Discovery and Baseline (Week 1)
Establish complete inventory of operational technology assets and create security baselines for critical cyber assets. This phase provides immediate visibility into previously unknown OT systems while establishing the foundation for advanced monitoring.
Phase 2: NERC CIP Compliance Implementation (Week 2)
Deploy automated NERC CIP compliance monitoring including continuous security control validation, incident detection, and automated regulatory reporting. This phase ensures immediate compliance while building advanced security capabilities.
Phase 3: Advanced Threat Detection (Week 3)
Implement advanced threat detection capabilities including behavioral analytics, anomaly detection, and nation-state attack pattern recognition. This phase provides full protection against advanced threats targeting critical infrastructure.
Phase 4: Operational Integration and Optimization (Week 4)
Deploy operational process monitoring and integration with existing critical infrastructure management systems. This phase maximizes the platform's value while ensuring smooth integration with operational workflows.
Expected Outcomes
Organizations typically report improved visibility and operational efficiency when centralizing logs and automating routine workflows:
- Improved security visibility across OT/IT systems that emit logs
- Reduced alert fatigue when deduplication is enabled at ingest
- Faster response workflows using triggers, webhooks, and scripts
- Streamlined evidence collection via RBAC, search, and exports
Implementation Notes
- Use standard transports for ingestion (syslog/SNMP/HTTP) per Receiving Data
- Reduce duplicates and forward optimized events via Dedup Forwarder
- Build response workflows with Automations and Trigger Scripts
- Segment data and UI access with RBAC
Sector-Specific Solutions
Electric Utilities
Centralized logging and alerting workflows for generation, transmission, and distribution systems; supports audit preparation and operations visibility.
Oil and Gas
Centralized logging and notifications for upstream, midstream, and downstream operations; supports audit preparation and operations visibility.
Water and Wastewater
Centralized logging for treatment and distribution systems with alerting workflows; supports audit preparation.
Transportation
Centralized logging and alerting workflows for transportation systems; supports operations visibility and audit preparation.
Getting Started
LogZilla's critical infrastructure solution supports on-premises, private cloud, and air-gapped deployments to meet your organization's specific security and operational requirements. Our critical infrastructure team includes former utility and industrial control system professionals with deep operational technology expertise.
Contact our critical infrastructure specialists to discuss your specific requirements and schedule a demonstration of LogZilla's industrial capabilities. We understand the unique challenges of critical infrastructure environments and can support NERC CIP‑aligned monitoring and OT log visibility without impacting operational systems or process safety.
Operational Patterns with LogZilla
Ground your deployment on documented capabilities and integrations:
- Ingest — Use syslog/SNMP/HTTP receivers for OT/IT sources documented in Receiving Data
- Reduce Noise — Enable Dedup Forwarder to collapse repeats and forward optimized events
- Automate — Build triggers and Automations to notify ticketing/chat tools or execute Trigger Scripts
- Segment — Apply RBAC to restrict data and UI access by role/team
- Search & Export — Use boolean search and API/CSV/XLSX exports for audits and evidence packaging
Micro-FAQ
What are NERC CIP logging requirements for critical infrastructure?
NERC CIP requires continuous monitoring of critical cyber assets, real-time security event logging, and comprehensive audit trails with automated incident reporting for regulatory compliance.
How does OT/IT convergence impact critical infrastructure security?
OT/IT convergence creates new attack vectors requiring specialized monitoring that understands industrial protocols while maintaining operational continuity and zero impact on critical processes.
Can log management detect nation-state attacks on infrastructure?
Yes, advanced behavioral analytics and threat intelligence specifically tuned for critical infrastructure can detect sophisticated attack patterns including living-off-the-land techniques and APT activities.
What is non-intrusive monitoring for operational technology?
Non-intrusive monitoring provides full security visibility without impacting operational systems, using network-based analysis and protocol-aware detection that maintains system availability.