CompTIA Launches Game-Changing Certification for Operational Tech Cybersecurity Experts

CompTIA Launches Game-Changing Certification for Operational Tech Cybersecurity Experts

Summary:

• CompTIA announced on May 13, 2025 that it would develop a new certification for operational technology (OT) security, called SecOT+.
• The certification targets the skills needed to protect industrial systems in manufacturing and critical infrastructure.
• It is meant for both OT staff, such as floor technicians and industrial engineers, and IT security staff who work with them.
• CompTIA says it will focus on risk assessment, compliance, hardening, supply chain risk and legacy systems.

Why OT Security Matters

Operational technology runs power grids, water systems, oil and gas pipelines and factory floors. These systems are increasingly targeted by malware, ransomware and denial-of-service attacks that can stop production or threaten safety. On May 13, 2025, CompTIA announced that it would begin developing a certification aimed squarely at OT security.

The proposed credential is called SecOT+. CompTIA said it is meant to give OT and IT staff a common set of skills to manage and fix security risks in manufacturing and critical infrastructure environments.

The Demand for Specialized Skills

IT and OT are no longer separate. Plant systems that once ran in isolation are now connected to corporate networks and the internet, which opens them to attacks they were never designed to resist. People who secure them need to understand both worlds.

CompTIA framed SecOT+ as a bridge between the two. Katie Hoenicke, its senior vice president for product development, said: “With technology continuing to expand across physical environments, it presents both opportunities and challenges.”

Bridging the Expertise Gap

The gap is real. According to CompTIA’s analysis of Lightcast job posting data, U.S. employers tried to fill more than 180,000 OT positions during 2024.

The planned exam covers five areas: risk-based approaches to cybersecurity, compliance and regulatory frameworks for OT, hardening and secure configuration, third-party and supply chain risk, and integrating and securing legacy systems. As with CompTIA’s other certifications, hands-on, scenario-based training will be emphasized.

Impact on the Industry

Who cares most? Utilities and manufacturers. Both face growing regulatory pressure on OT security, and both struggle to find staff who understand industrial systems and security at the same time.

A vendor-neutral credential helps. Employers get a common yardstick for OT security knowledge, and IT security staff get a clear path into industrial roles that are hard to fill today.

CompTIA’s Strategic Role

CompTIA is best known for vendor-neutral certifications such as Security+, which many employers and government agencies use as a baseline. James Stanger, its chief technology evangelist, said governments, industry leaders and security staff are “struggling to address the human and economic impact of critical infrastructure attacks.”

Encouraging Industry-Wide Action

A certificate will not secure a power plant. They can, though, set a common baseline for what OT security staff should know and push employers to invest in training.

The Takeaway

SecOT+ fills an obvious gap in CompTIA’s lineup. Attacks on industrial systems are growing, and employers need people who can protect them. CompTIA formally began developing the certification later in 2025, and its site now lists the exam as launching in December 2026.

How widely employers adopt it will decide how much difference it makes. OT security is a shared problem across industry and government, and more trained people is a good start.

John King, CISSP, PMP, CISM

John King currently works in the greater Los Angeles area as a ISSO (Information Systems Security Officer). John has a passion for learning and developing his cyber security skills through education, hands on work, and studying for IT certifications.