NCC Group & Siemens team up on UK OT cyber security

NCC Group and Siemens have agreed to collaborate on cyber security for UK critical infrastructure, with a focus on operational technology used across industry, energy and defence.

The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cyber resilience for critical national infrastructure, particularly where information technology systems intersect with operational technology that manages physical processes and assets.

The collaboration combines Siemens’ expertise in industrial automation, control systems and operational technology with NCC Group’s cyber security and resilience services. Support will be aimed at asset owners, operators and supply chains.

Operational technology has become a growing concern for operators of essential services as industrial systems become more connected to corporate networks and external data environments. That convergence has widened the potential attack surface for organisations running energy networks, manufacturing sites, transport systems and defence-related infrastructure.

In the UK, the issue carries broader economic and security implications because disruption to operational technology can affect physical operations, not just data or office systems. Critical infrastructure operators have faced increasing pressure to strengthen defences as cyber threats become more frequent and more sophisticated.

OT focus

The agreement is framed around that shift, with both companies arguing that industrial cyber security now requires a joined-up approach across digital and physical environments. Their plan centres on an end-to-end resilience model that combines industrial systems expertise with cyber security oversight.

Siemens has a long-standing presence in industrial software, automation and control environments used in factories, utilities and infrastructure. NCC Group, which operates internationally in cyber security, has presented the tie-up as a way to address risks earlier in modernisation and connectivity projects.

Paul Hingley, Cyber Security Expert, Siemens UK & Ireland, said: “Organisations responsible for keeping the country powered, connected and secure are under growing pressure to protect not just their IT systems, but the operational technology that controls physical assets on the ground. This collaboration brings together complementary strengths to help customers protect the physical systems that keep the country running.”

The agreement reflects a broader trend across industrial sectors, where cyber security spending is increasingly linked to operational continuity, safety and regulatory expectations. In these environments, the consequences of a cyber incident can extend beyond data loss to outages, equipment disruption and interruptions to essential services.

Shared ambition

The arrangement also points to a closer working relationship between the two businesses on industrial cyber security. They described the threat landscape as large in scale and urgent in nature.

Peter Vorley, Chief Commercial Officer, NCC Group, said: “Cyber resilience is now a fundamental enabler of industrial performance. Our collaboration with Siemens reflects a shared ambition to support organizations as they connect, automate and modernize their operational environments. By combining our strengths, we can help customers move forward faster and more safely, while shaping a more secure digital future for the sector.”

The UK market for industrial cyber security has drawn increasing attention from technology suppliers, consultants and specialist security firms as operators update legacy systems and connect more equipment to digital platforms. That shift has created demand for services that cover both conventional IT security and the specialist requirements of industrial control systems.

Unlike office-based IT environments, operational technology often includes equipment with long life cycles, strict uptime requirements and safety-critical functions. Those characteristics can make patching, monitoring and system changes more complex, especially in sectors where downtime is expensive or unacceptable.

Supply chain exposure is also a factor in industrial security planning, as operators rely on equipment vendors, maintenance providers and software partners that may connect to production or infrastructure environments. The collaboration will also cover support for supply chains alongside asset owners and operators.

Siemens is one of the largest industrial technology groups active in infrastructure and automation markets, while NCC Group has built its business around cyber resilience and software escrow services. NCC Group says it has more than 2,000 employees across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.

The partnership places operational technology security at the centre of efforts to defend critical infrastructure, as cyber threats increasingly affect the systems that run essential services and industrial operations.