Why OEMs are embedding cyber resilience directly into their industrial equipment

The operational technology (OT) landscape is under unprecedented attack. Threat actors are actively targeting the OT sector by exploiting vulnerabilities in IT software, particularly remote access and firewall weaknesses.

It’s no wonder the global OT security market is projected by MarketsandMarkets to grow from nearly $21 billion in 2024 to $45 billion by 2029. For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) serving critical infrastructure sectors, the question isn’t whether cyberthreats will impact your customers — it’s how quickly you can transform from equipment suppliers into resilience partners.

Instead of simply reselling cybersecurity solutions, forward-thinking OEMs are embedding comprehensive backup and recovery capabilities directly into their SCADA systems, PLCs, HMIs and DCS platforms.

Enter Acronis Cyber Protect for OT, a new and unique OEM-tailored cybersecurity solution. Unlike generic backup products, it offers unprecedented integration that enables OEMs to create truly seamless customer experiences.

With Acronis Cyber Protect for OT, OEMs can:

• Integrate recovery capabilities. OEMs can offer recovery through existing management platforms through comprehensive APIs and SDKs. Customers interact with recovery functions through the familiar interfaces they already use daily — not separate backup software. Plus, with Acronis Cyber Protect for OT, a single user with no IT experience can get a system back up and running in minutes.

• Adapt to existing OT architectures without disruption. Hot backup capabilities operate without requiring system shutdowns, while automated scheduling aligns with production cycles. The solution maintains air-gap compatibility for isolated industrial networks and preserves OT system performance through minimal resource overhead. All of those are critical factors that generic IT backup solutions simply cannot address.

• Benefit from a flexible licensing model. OEMs can embed Acronis Cyber Protect for OT as a standard feature in premium equipment lines, offer it as an optional add on for existing installations or create tiered service packages that scale with customer requirements.

Industrial facilities often rely on control systems that have operated reliably for decades. SCADA systems still running on Windows XP and legacy Linux distributions continue running critical processes across manufacturing, energy and infrastructure sectors. Traditional backup solutions frequently abandon support for these older platforms, forcing costly premature upgrades or leaving systems unprotected.

Acronis Cyber Protect for OT takes a different approach, supporting operating systems dating from the early 2000s through current platforms. This extended lifecycle support delivers immediate value to OEM customers by deferring expensive system replacements while maintaining operational resilience. Customers can avoid costly upgrades while gaining enhanced protection, and OEMs can deliver clear ROI that strengthens purchasing decisions.

More strategically, Acronis provides free training and certifications for OEM engineering teams, enabling them to serve as Tier 1 support for their customers. This approach reduces ongoing support costs for both parties while maintaining access to specialized Tier 2 expert support through Acronis OEM support programs.

By reducing direct support costs, OEMs deliver superior service — customers receive immediate assistance from engineers who understand their specific equipment configurations. Everyone benefits from faster resolution times and reduced complexity.

Traditional software licensing models create unpredictable costs that complicate OEM pricing strategies and customer budgeting. Acronis Cyber Protect for OT employs device-based licensing with unlimited storage, a model that creates predictable costs for customers while enabling sustainable profit growth for OEMs:

• Host-based licensing supports unlimited virtual machines per physical host, reducing customer CAPEX requirements significantly. This competitive advantage helps OEMs win deals against rivals who cannot offer similar economics. As customer usage increases, the per-unit cost decreases, boosting OEM profit margins while maintaining customer satisfaction.

• The licensing model scales naturally with business growth. OEMs can accurately forecast licensing costs as they plan equipment deployments, while customers benefit from predictable operational expenses. This alignment eliminates the licensing surprises that often damage vendor relationships and create budget conflicts.

• Device-based licensing simplifies sales processes. Rather than complex per-seat or storage-based calculations, sales teams present straightforward per-device pricing that customers understand immediately. This clarity accelerates sales cycles and reduces administrative overhead for both parties.

Embedding cyber resilience transforms fundamental business relationships. Instead of competing primarily on hardware specifications and price, OEMs differentiate through operational continuity that directly impacts customer profitability. With ABB reporting the median cost of an outage as $125,000 per hour, OEMs that offer sub-15-minute recovery deliver measurable bottom-line value.

Support cost transformation represents another significant advantage. Embedded self-service recovery dramatically reduces support call volumes for system failures, eliminates travel costs for routine system restoration and enables scalable support models that grow with customer bases without proportional staff increases. These economics improve as OEM customer bases expand.

Regulatory compliance enablement is also critical. OEMs that demonstrate built-in compliance readiness for ISA/IEC 62443, NIS 2 and other frameworks gain decisive advantages in competitive evaluations.

With Acronis Cyber Protect for OT, OEMs can expand their offerings, increase profitability, reduce support costs, strengthen customer relationships and extend equipment lifecycles simultaneously.

The competitive landscape rewards OEMs who act decisively to embed resilience capabilities. For OEMs ready to evolve beyond equipment supply toward resilience partnership, the Acronis Cyber Protect for OT offers clear strategic and financial benefits that grow over time.