iOT365 is rolling out a security operations center (SOC) platform to help organizations and MSSPs manage cybersecurity in an increasingly complex world as IT, operational technology (OT), and the Internet of Things (IoT) continue to converge.
The startup, founded in 2022, is adding the SOC capability on top of its iOT365 OT/IoT Cybersecurity Platform, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that was launched in 2023 to address the challenges organizations face as their OT environments become connected to the internet and IoT takes on a larger role.
The 14-month-old platform includes intrusion system (IDS) and security information and event management (SIEM) capabilities, including real-time monitoring and anomaly and threat detection. With the SOC platform, organizations and MSSPs will be able to monitor activities across multiple OT and IoT sites to better detect and respond to threats in real time. It also will offer flexible deployment across virtual, on-premises, and hybrid infrastructures and fewer false-positive findings, according to iOT365.
The New York City-based company announced the SOC platform this week at the Intersec 2025 event in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Security in a Converging World
Organizations for the past several years have been looking for security solutions to address the ongoing convergence of IT and OT environments. Whereas IT deals with data processing and communication, OT manages the physical world, using devices like industrial control systems (ICS), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to interact with machinery and equipment in industrial environments.
Until recently, OT systems were kept separate from external networks, but that’s changed as they’ve become more connected to the internet and the IoT, cloud computing, and remote monitoring tools have become more prominent. They’ve also become larger targets for threat groups involved in espionage, disruption, and financial-based schemes.
“This convergence creates a very complex, interconnected web of applications, users, devices, and infrastructure components,” Krista Case, research director and senior analyst with The Futurum Group, told MSSP Alert. “As a result, not only is the attack surface greatly expanded, but it is also very difficult for IT and security teams to obtain complete visibility and apply security policies across this entire ecosystem.”
That leads to blind spots that create unprotected or under-protected resources and difficulty detecting and responding to threats, Case said. It becomes a threat to IP or private data that is exchanged across the environments, “a notable threat because successful attacks on interconnected IT, IoT, and OT systems is bound to lead to significant disruptions to business services, and it might even lead to safety hazards.”
IoT in IT-OT Convergence
The IT-OT convergence has been a source of concern for several years, but IoT is playing an increasingly large role.
“In essence, IoT is the backbone that supports the convergence of IT and OT, effectively bridging the gap between the digital world of IT and the physical realm of OT,” Antony Byford, vice president of IoT and collaboration for tech solutions provider and IT distributor Weston-Comstor, wrote in a blog post in October. “By facilitating real-time data exchange, IoT enables the seamless integration of these traditionally separate systems.”
Futurum’s Case said cybersecurity vendors are focusing more on the IT-OT convergence, noting that some SIEM tools add support for OT data sources and SOAR platforms support threat response for OT environments. In addition, many such platforms can bridge the environments by providing insight into threats that target IT, OT, and IoT environments.
Opportunity Awaits MSSPs
It’s also an area ripe for MSSPs and MSPs, she said.
“It will depend on the industry and the environment,” Case said. “Naturally, industries such as energy, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and utilities with larger OT and IoT implementations may have a bigger need. In this case, the service provider's opportunity will also depend on the in-house expertise and ability to bridge these environments.”
Her thoughts echo those of Michael O’Brien, regional vice president of channels for cybersecurity firm Fortinet, who wrote in MSSP Alert that the emerging IT-OT market could help partners grow their businesses.
“Any MSSP that wants to expand its customer base should be taking a hard look at the emerging OT market that has enormous potential,” O’Brien wrote. “Many traditional MSSPs are evaluating the OT space and seeing it as a growth opportunity. To be successful in tackling the OT landscape, MSSPs need only take some of their tried-and-true practices and apply them to the OT landscape.”
