Nozomi Networks
Introduction
Nozomi is a supplier of OT cybersecurity solutions focused on industrial automation, critical infrastructure and connected IoT environments. The platform provides functionality for network monitoring, Asset Discovery, threat detection, anomaly detection and risk management within complex OT and ICS networks.
Nozomi is used in:
- production environments
- power plants
- water treatment
- oil and gas
- transport sector
- data centres
- building management systems
- smart infrastructure
In modern IT OT Convergence architectures, Nozomi helps organisations gain real-time insight into industrial assets, network traffic and cyber threats without disrupting operational processes.
The platform is specifically designed for environments in which:
- high availability
- real-time behaviour
- legacy systems
- industrial protocols
- operational continuity
are critical.
🏗️ Positioning in OT security
Nozomi positions itself primarily within:
- Monitoring
- IDS
- Asset Inventory
- anomaly detection
- network visibility
- threat intelligence
- OT risk management
Unlike traditional IT security tools, Nozomi takes OT-specific constraints into account such as:
- vulnerable legacy equipment
- limited patching options
- real-time communication
- safety requirements
- deterministic networks
The platform can therefore analyse industrial networks without performing aggressive scans.
🌐 Nozomi architecture
A typical Nozomi architecture consists of several components.
Key elements:
| Component | Function |
|---|---|
| Guardian Sensor | OT network monitoring |
| Central Management Console | central management |
| Vantage | cloud-based analysis |
| Threat Intelligence | threat information |
| Remote Collectors | distributed monitoring |
Nozomi is typically placed within:
- OT Network
- Control Network
- Supervisory Network
- IDMZ
- SOC environments
The solution collects network data via:
- SPAN ports
- network TAPs
- passive network monitoring
🔎 Asset Discovery
A core capability of Nozomi is automatic Asset Discovery.
The platform detects:
Key metadata:
| Data | Example |
|---|---|
| vendor | Siemens, ABB |
| firmware | version numbers |
| protocols | Modbus, DNP3 |
| network relations | communication paths |
| vulnerabilities | known CVEs |
In many industrial environments, an up-to-date Asset Inventory is missing, making OT risks difficult to manage.
📡 Passive monitoring
Nozomi mainly uses passive monitoring.
This means:
- no aggressive scanning
- minimal impact on production
- continuous network visibility
- protocol analysis based on traffic
Supported protocols include:
Passive monitoring is crucial because active scans in OT can lead to:
- controller faults
- HMI freezes
- network congestion
- safety issues
- production stops
🧠 Deep Packet Inspection
Nozomi uses extensive DPI functionality for industrial protocols.
This allows the platform to:
- analyse OT commands
- detect configuration changes
- recognise protocol anomalies
- flag unauthorised engineering activity
Examples:
| Detection | Possible risk |
|---|---|
| firmware upload | sabotage |
| new PLC | rogue device |
| anomalous protocol use | attack or fault |
| unauthorised laptop | insider threat |
This OT-specific protocol analysis is essential for effective industrial detection.
⚠️ Threat detection and anomaly detection
Nozomi uses behavioural analysis and threat intelligence for threat detection.
Key detection areas:
- Ransomware
- lateral movement
- command injection
- unauthorised configuration changes
- protocol abuse
- malware traffic
- insider threats
The platform supports mapping to:
- MITRE ATT&CK for ICS
- IOCs
- behavioural profiles
- network anomalies
Through machine learning and baseline analysis, deviations can be detected at an early stage.
🔐 OT cybersecurity in critical infrastructure
Nozomi is widely used in critical infrastructure.
Examples:
- power plants
- water treatment
- smart grids
- transport infrastructure
- industrial production
These environments require:
- high availability
- minimal downtime
- real-time visibility
- compliance
- secure remote access
Nozomi therefore supports integrations with:
☁️ Cloud and XIoT
Nozomi uses the XIoT concept for extensive connected environments.
This includes:
- ICS
- IoT devices
- OT systems
- building management systems
- industrial sensors
Through growing cloud integration, the attack surface of OT environments increases.
Key integrations:
| Technology | Application |
|---|---|
| cloud analytics | central monitoring |
| edge gateways | data collection |
| AI platforms | anomaly detection |
| remote operations | external management |
Nozomi helps organisations monitor these hybrid environments centrally.
⚡ Network performance and OT requirements
OT networks require predictable performance.
Important considerations:
| Aspect | Impact |
|---|---|
| Latency | process stability |
| jitter | motion control |
| packet loss | communication problems |
| network load | real-time behaviour |
Nozomi is designed to:
- operate passively
- cause minimal load
- support real-time analysis
- safely interpret OT protocols
This is essential in industrial networks where even limited disruption can have significant operational impact.
🛡️ Vulnerability management
Nozomi supports OT-specific Vulnerability Management.
OT challenges differ significantly from traditional IT:
| OT challenge | Consequence |
|---|---|
| legacy systems | limited patching |
| vendor lock-in | dependencies |
| production continuity | maintenance constraints |
| safety validation | slow updates |
Nozomi therefore focuses not only on patching but also on:
- exposure reduction
- compensating controls
- network segmentation
- risk prioritisation
🔄 Integration with IT security
Nozomi integrates with existing IT security environments.
Commonly used integrations:
This creates better collaboration between:
- OT engineering
- SOC analysts
- IT security teams
- operations
The integration helps organisations detect lateral movement between IT and OT more quickly.
🧪 Practical example: power plant
A power plant implements Nozomi for OT visibility and threat detection.
Architecture
| Layer | Component |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | sensors and actuators |
| Level 1 | PLCs and RTUs |
| Level 2 | SCADA |
| Level 3 | Historian |
| Level 3.5 | Nozomi monitoring |
| Level 4 | SOC/SIEM |
Functionality
Nozomi detects:
- unknown devices
- firmware changes
- unauthorised engineering access
- protocol anomalies
- suspicious network flows
Security challenges
Key risks:
- legacy equipment
- insufficient segmentation
- remote vendor access
- limited patching options
- supply-chain risks
Work is therefore often done according to:
🔄 Lifecycle Management
Nozomi supports organisations in Lifecycle Management of OT assets.
Key insights:
- end-of-life equipment
- unsupported firmware
- vulnerable systems
- configuration changes
- asset dependencies
This helps organisations with:
- migration planning
- risk assessments
- compliance
- cybersecurity governance
⚖️ Relevant standards
Nozomi is often used within compliance programmes based on:
| Standard | Relevance |
|---|---|
| IEC 62443 | OT security |
| NIST SP 800-82 | ICS security |
| NIST CSF | cybersecurity governance |
| ISO 27001 | information security |
| NIS2 | critical infrastructure |
| ISA-95 | IT/OT integration |
📈 Role in IT/OT convergence
Nozomi plays an important role in modern industrial cybersecurity architectures.
Key trends:
- growing cloud connectivity
- converged SOCs
- XIoT security
- AI-based detection
- real-time OT visibility
- remote operations
Benefits:
- better asset insight
- faster detection
- improved compliance
- risk reduction
- better OT monitoring
Challenges:
- scalability
- false positives
- complex OT landscapes
- legacy systems
- multi-vendor environments
Nozomi is thus an important building block for modern OT cybersecurity and industrial network visibility.