12-Point OT Security Field Checklist: Protecting SCADA in Oil & Gas

kapilramjattan
Sep 16
2 min read

Why Field Security Matters in Oilfield Cybersecurity

In oil & gas operations, downtime isn’t just inconvenient; it means lost production, lost revenue, and increased safety risks. Modern OT/SCADA environments are no longer isolated; they blend traditional field assets with corporate IT networks, creating new cybersecurity attack surfaces, compliance challenges, and operational risks.

While enterprises often invest heavily in corporate IT defenses, the field is where vulnerabilities are most exposed. Default accounts, weak network segmentation, or missing backups can quickly escalate into costly outages.

That’s why I developed this 12-Point OT Security Checklist, a practical, field-ready tool designed not only for auditors in boardrooms, but also for operators, engineers, and technicians working in oilfield environments.

The 12 Critical Checks for SCADA Hardening

🌐 Verify IT/OT Network SegmentationProtect SCADA systems by isolating them from corporate IT traffic.

🔑 Remove or Secure Default Accounts: Change all default usernames and passwords to prevent unauthorized access.

👥 Enforce Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC). Limit privileges by user type (operator, engineer, admin).

🛡️ Validate Firewall RulesRestrict SCADA communication to only required ports and protocols.

💻 Confirm Patch Status of Servers & Applications. Apply updates for Windows, Linux, and SCADA-related software.

⏱️ Check Time Synchronization (NTP). Keep OT systems synchronized to prevent alarm/data mismatches.

💾 Validate Backup & Restore Testing: Ensure backups exist and confirm they can be successfully restored.

🔒 Enable Endpoint Protection & LoggingDeploy anti-malware, EDR, and system logging on all servers.

📊 Test SCADA Dashboards & Alarms Confirm that dashboards update in real-time and alarms trigger as designed.

📜 Review User Activity Logs: Analyze logs for anomalies, privilege escalations, or suspicious activity.

✅ Perform a Sanity Test Before Go-LiveVerify ingestion, dashboards, alarms, and critical processes.

📞 Update Incident Response Contacts: Maintain accurate escalation paths for operators, engineers, and vendors.

Lessons from the Field

Supporting real-world XSPOC, Ally, and PumpChecker deployments has demonstrated that this oilfield OT cybersecurity checklist is effective.

Operators don’t have time for 100-page security manuals. What they need is a one-page field-ready guide they can tape to a workstation or access quickly on a mobile device.

Key Lessons Learned

📋 Simple documentation empowers operators more than lengthy manuals.
🔄 Hybrid IT/OT environments require shared responsibility between both teams.
⏳ Embedding security early avoids expensive retrofits and downtime.
🛠️ Rollback planning reduces management anxiety and builds operator trust.

How to Use This OT Security Checklist

This SCADA hardening checklist is more than a compliance checkbox; it’s a living tool for every deployment, upgrade, or system change:

👷 Operators: validate readiness before go-live.
📑 Managers: use it as a lightweight OT audit guide.
⚖️ Compliance officers: demonstrate due diligence for regulators.

At K Networks & Security, we believe oilfield cybersecurity must be field-ready, operator-friendly, and compliance-aligned. This OT checklist bridges the gap between corporate IT policies and on-site OT realities.

About the Author

Kapil Ramjattan is an IT Technician and Cybersecurity Analyst with over 10 years of experience in Oil & Gas IT and OT environments. His expertise includes SCADA security, predictive analytics, data pipelines, and compliance enablement.

He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Compliance Law, with plans for a JD and DBA, blending IT, business, and law to strengthen both Texas operations and Guyana’s digital economy.