Solutions / IT/OT & Critical Infrastructure
Protect the data your plant floor can’t afford to lose.
XQ protects operational technology data — grid, plant-floor and ICS/SCADA telemetry — by encrypting it at the sensor before it crosses the IT/OT boundary, gating historian and control-system access by policy, and letting you cryptographically revoke a compromised edge device remotely, without disrupting real-time operations.
Built for OT security and plant engineering leaders · Utilities and energy operators · Manufacturers and critical-infrastructure owners
At a glance
Built forEnergy, utilities, manufacturing, water, oil & gas
ProtectsSensor, historian and ICS/SCADA data
RevocationCut off a compromised device remotely
StandardsNERC CIP, IEC 62443, CISA guidance
Works with Phoenix Contact · GDIT · 5G networks · AWS · Azure
Encrypt telemetry at the sensor
Data is protected before it ever crosses the IT/OT boundary.
Revoke a compromised device remotely
Cut off an edge device or gateway cryptographically — no site visit required.
Keep control loops running
Low-latency enforcement that doesn’t disrupt real-time operational control.
Why OT data needs data-level protection
Power grids, manufacturing lines and industrial control systems generate sensitive telemetry that traditional IT security was never built to govern. Grids have already been attacked, and every smart meter, sensor and gateway is another endpoint to exploit — so protection has to start at the device that creates the data.
How XQ protects OT data
- Data is encrypted on the edge device; keys and policy go to the XQ key service while the encrypted data travels separately — keys and data are never stored together.
- Destination systems unlock data only by presenting valid credentials, so a stolen stream or historian copy is useless.
- Every packet can carry its own key, using quantum random numbers for entropy and NIST algorithms for quantum-resistant cryptography.
- The API-based model needs little compute, so it scales to large sensor networks as devices are added.
- Bi-directional encryption secures traffic across untrusted 5G RAN and core infrastructure.
Want to see what XQ would protect in your OT environment?
Where it’s used
| Environment | What XQ does |
|---|---|
| Power grids and substations | Encrypts telemetry at the source and gates control-system access by policy. |
| Manufacturing | Protects plant-floor data and supports trusted AI agent workflows for predictive maintenance and automation. |
| Water and utility metering | Secures data from smart meters and field sensors — each a potential entry point. |
| Transport and signaling | Protects sensor and signaling networks from hijacking. |
| Public safety video | Keeps camera and sensor streams safe from exfiltration. |
Proven in the field
XQ was selected by the Indiana 5G Zone to provide data protection for its smart-city initiative and demonstrated 5G secure video at its Innovation Event on January 13, 2021. XQ also runs joint IT/OT operational intelligence programs with Phoenix Contact and GDIT.
Related resources and articles
- IT/OT Operational Intelligence for Critical Infrastructure
- Infrastructure No Longer Defines Risk: Why AI-Driven Data Exposure Is the New Battleground
- UAV Data Security
- AESO / NERC CIP Compliance Through XQ Data Centric Governance
- IoT Security Challenge: Multiple Sensors & Management Systems Require Governance
FAQ
IT/OT security, answered directly.
Does XQ help meet NERC CIP for critical infrastructure?
Yes. XQ encrypts telemetry at the point of ingestion, enforces policy across the IT/OT boundary, and records the access and revocation logs auditors ask for, supporting NERC CIP, IEC 62443 and CISA guidance. It is a complementary data-layer control and does not replace required CIP network, system and procedural controls.
Can we revoke access for a compromised edge device?
Yes. Because every device’s access depends on keys released by policy, you can cryptographically revoke a compromised device or gateway remotely, without touching it physically.
Will encryption slow down real-time control?
XQ is designed for low-latency enforcement that does not disrupt real-time operational control loops, and its lightweight API model scales across large sensor networks.
Does XQ protect data over 5G and untrusted networks?
Yes. XQ encrypts data between devices and application infrastructure so it stays protected across untrusted 5G RAN and core networks.
How does XQ control vendor and contractor access to OT data?
Access is decided by policy at the data layer, so third parties get no implicit trust. Vendors can be given time-bound access to only the data they need, that access expires or can be revoked at any time, and every access is logged.
Does XQ replace OPC UA or our OT network security?
No. XQ complements them. OPC UA and network controls make industrial data interoperable and protect it in transit; XQ binds encryption and policy to the data itself, so it stays controlled after it leaves the session — in data lakes, clouds, analytics platforms and AI systems.
Secure OT data without slowing operations.
Get an operational assessment of your IT/OT data flows and where XQ fits.