defend ot

What defend ot does

Defend OT is a Brisbane-headquartered cybersecurity firm that delivers operational technology (OT) security solutions and professional services to critical infrastructure operators across Australia. The company is privately held and was founded in 2024 by Richard Ralfe, a lawyer with practitioner experience across IT and OT cyber security with leading integrators and vendors, positioning Defend OT to bridge the gap between cybersecurity practices and operational procedures.

The company's portfolio comprises five technology solutions and three professional services. The solutions are Secure Remote Access (Zero Trust Remote Access for third-party contractors with physical-layer controls and application-isolated access), Zero Trust Networking and Segmentation (IEC-62443-aligned zoning and least-privilege policy automation), Secure Operational Visibility (an asset discovery and monitoring platform with interactive Purdue model mapping), Defend OT Cloud Access (secure cloud-to-OT connectivity), and AI Visibility and Compliance (governance tooling for AI-enabled security camera networks aligned with ISO 42001, Australian AI Guidelines, EU AI Act, and OMB Policy USA). The services are Incident Response (retainer-based with SLA response times), Risk Awareness (threat modelling, OT penetration testing, OT red teaming), and Audit & Assurance Advisory Services built on a 7-step OT security maturity journey covering SOCI, NIST, IEC 62443, ISO 27001, AESCSF, and ACSC Essential 8 compliance.

Defend OT operates an enterprise field sales motion targeting nine verticals: energy, government and defence, manufacturing, higher education research, transport, water and wastewater, oil and gas, mining, and smart buildings. Revenue is generated through professional services engagements and managed services retainers, with pricing structured as quote-based multi-year contracts; no public pricing, revenue figures, or funding rounds are disclosed. Machine learning is embedded across the visibility and policy automation features but is not the central product differentiator.

Name

defend ot

Legal name

Defend OT

Website

https://defendot.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Defend OT is a Brisbane-based cybersecurity firm delivering operational technology security solutions and professional services to Australian critical infrastructure operators across energy, government, defence, transport, water, mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, and smart buildings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

OT Cybersecurity Services

NAICS

Security Systems Services (56162), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)

akta.pro primary industry

Managed OT Security Services (MSSP/MDR for ICS/OT) (HDADAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

OT/ICS & Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Services (BPAKAHAN), Operational Technology (OT) Network Segmentation & Zero Trust (HDADAJAB), Remote Access & Privileged Access for OT (ZTA/PAM for Vendors) (HDADAJAG), Industrial Incident Response & Forensics (OT DFIR) (HDADAJAJ)

Keywords

• OT cybersecurity services
• Critical infrastructure protection
• Zero Trust segmentation
• Industrial network monitoring
• OT incident response

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Professional Cybersecurity Services: Defend OT generates revenue through professional cybersecurity services including assessments, risk management, compliance audits, incident response, training, and advisory engagements. Services follow a structured 7-step OT security maturity journey covering assessment, risk management, compliance, incident response planning, training, business solutions roadmap, and continuous monitoring.
2. Managed Security Services: Ongoing managed security services including continuous monitoring and threat detection capabilities using advanced scanning methods, anomaly isolation, and response automation. Provided through Operational Technology Incident Response Retainer model offering immediate access to top-tier support with SLA response times.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Defend OT provides operational technology (OT) cybersecurity solutions and professional services for Australian critical infrastructure operators. Its offerings span five technology solutions (Secure Remote Access, Zero Trust Networking and Segmentation, Secure Operational Visibility, Cloud Access, and AI Visibility and Compliance) and three service lines (Incident Response, Risk Awareness, Audit & Assurance Advisory), delivered through an enterprise field sales model across energy, government/defence, manufacturing, mining, transport, water, oil and gas, and smart buildings sectors.

Product overview

Defend OT is a cybersecurity services and solutions provider specializing in Operational Technology (OT) security for critical infrastructure. The company offers an integrated portfolio of five core solutions: Secure Remote Access (for third-party and remote employee access), Zero Trust Networking and Segmentation (network protection aligned with IEC-62443), Secure Operational Visibility (asset discovery and monitoring platform), Defend OT Cloud Access (secure cloud connectivity), and AI Visibility and Compliance (AI governance for security cameras). Supporting these solutions are three professional services: Incident Response (24/7 retainer with SLA response times), Risk Awareness (threat modelling, penetration testing, red teaming), and Audit & Assurance Advisory Services (seven-step OT security maturity journey). The company serves critical infrastructure sectors including energy, government/defence, manufacturing, mining, transport, water, oil and gas, and smart buildings across Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secure Remote Access Secure remote access solution for OT environments providing physical-layer access control, application-isolated access, and Zero Trust Remote Access (ZTRA) for third-party contractors and remote employees. Features privileged credential management, session monitoring, web-based antivirus scanning, and secure file manager.
• Zero Trust Networking and Segmentation Network security solution providing physical segmentation and Zero Trust access strategy for OT networks. Includes zoning and detailed segmentation based on asset type, protocols, and risk levels aligned with IEC-62443 standards, with machine learning-powered automated recommendations for least-privilege access policies and Network Access Control (NAC) policy recommendations.
• Secure Operational Visibility OT security platform providing automatic device detection, mapping, and visualization throughout networks with interactive Purdue model mapping. Features machine learning-powered visibility, prevention, enforcement, and insights, and protects common IoT devices such as security cameras, printers, and HVAC systems with built-in prevention measures for unmanaged devices.
• Defend OT Cloud Access Secure cloud connectivity solution enabling safe digital transformation in OT environments. Prevents cloud and Internet-based attacks from reaching protected OT networks while enabling big data analytics, multi-site visibility, and proactive maintenance insights through a Zero Trust framework.
• AI Visibility and Compliance AI governance and compliance solution for security camera networks. Provides regular AI audits and systematic review of AI models, data, and processes to ensure compliance with ISO 42001, Australian AI Guidelines, EU AI Act, and OMB Policy USA. Enables interference data sharing from cameras with other systems.
• Incident Response Operational Technology Incident Response Retainer offering proactive pre-breach environment understanding and immediate access to top-tier support. Provides SLA response times and integrated incident response team support in case of breaches for critical infrastructure operators.
• Risk Awareness Risk assessment services including OT Threat Modelling to inform strategy, policy, and procedures; OT Penetration Testing to identify vulnerabilities; and OT Red Teaming with experienced analysts simulating threat actors using advanced tactics to secure control of industrial assets.
• Audit & Assurance Advisory Services Seven-step OT security journey covering Assessment and Baseline, Risk Management, Compliance and Standardization (audits for SOCI, NIST, IEC 62443, ISO 27001, AESCSF, ACSC Essential 8), Incident Response Planning, Training and Awareness, Business Solutions Roadmap, and Continuous Monitoring with real-time threat detection and anomaly isolation automation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lower operational costs and maximized ROI by making the most of existing infrastructure
• +2 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dragos: OT-specialist cybersecurity platform focused on asset discovery, threat detection, and incident response for industrial environments — directly comparable to Defend OT's Secure Operational Visibility and Incident Response offerings.
• Claroty: Provides OT/IoT cybersecurity including network segmentation, secure remote access, and asset visibility — closely overlapping with Defend OT's Zero Trust Networking, Secure Remote Access, and Operational Visibility solutions.
• Nozomi Networks: Specialises in OT and IoT security monitoring with asset discovery and threat detection, comparable to Defend OT's Secure Operational Visibility and continuous-monitoring capabilities.
• Darktrace: AI-driven network detection and response platform with OT/ICS coverage, directly comparable to Defend OT's ML-based behaviour profiling and anomaly isolation capabilities.
• Mandiant (Google Cloud): Global incident response and cybersecurity services firm — comparable to Defend OT's Incident Response retainer, Risk Awareness, and Audit & Assurance advisory practices.

Broad incumbents

• Tenable (OT Security): Broader vulnerability-management platform with a dedicated OT Security module (formerly Indegy) covering asset discovery and segmentation — a wider-portfolio competitor to Defend OT's Zero Trust and visibility stack.
• Palo Alto Networks: Large cybersecurity incumbent whose IoT/OT security unit (Zingbox-derived) and Cortex platform address asset visibility and Zero Trust segmentation relevant to Defend OT's offering.
• Fortinet: Network security incumbent with OT/ICS-focused products (FortiGate, FortiNAC) covering segmentation and access control that compete with Defend OT's Zero Trust Networking solution.
• CrowdStrike: Endpoint and cloud security incumbent expanding into OT/IoT protection and incident response — overlaps with Defend OT's remote access, segmentation, and DFIR offerings.

Regional players

• Sekuro: Australian-headquartered cybersecurity services and advisory firm — a regional peer to Defend OT for OT advisory, compliance, and incident response work across Australian critical infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/defend-ot

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about defend ot