CompTIA Launches SecOT+ Certification to Tackle Operational Technology Skills Shortage

At a glance

• CompTIA plans a SecOT+ certification for security in operational technology (OT), announced May 13, 2025.
• It targets people who run and protect factories, power grids, water utilities and oil and gas sites.
• SecOT+ is meant to give OT staff and IT security staff a shared set of skills.
• CompTIA said formal development would begin later in 2025.

Why CompTIA is building SecOT+

On May 13, 2025, CompTIA said it would start developing SecOT+. Plants and utilities have wired more of their control systems into business networks over the past decade, which has made them easier to reach. Attacks on industrial sites now threaten safety and uptime. Too few people understand both sides of the problem.

IT meets OT

OT systems were built for safety and reliability. Security often came later, if at all. The certification is meant for floor technicians and industrial engineers on the OT side, and for security engineers and network architects on the IT side, so both groups can manage the same risks with a common toolkit.

What the exam will cover

CompTIA listed five proposed domains. They are risk-based security, OT compliance frameworks, hardening and secure configuration, third-party and supply chain risk, and securing legacy systems. Labs matter here. As with its other certifications, CompTIA said it will stress hands-on, scenario-based training.

“Governments, industry leaders and cybersecurity techs are struggling to address the human and economic impact of critical infrastructure attacks,” said James Stanger, chief technology evangelist at CompTIA, in the announcement.

Why industry cares

An attack on OT can stop a production line or damage equipment, and in the worst cases it puts workers at risk. Employers have struggled for years to find staff who can secure control systems without disrupting them. A vendor-neutral credential gives them one more way to judge candidates.

What comes next

SecOT+ was still a proposal when this was written. CompTIA said it would follow its ISO-accredited process, which draws on working practitioners to write and review exam content.

For IT security professionals, the planned exam offers a route into industrial work. OT engineers get a structured way to learn how attackers move from office networks into the plant.

Watch for the exam release

Exam objectives and a launch date had not been published at announcement. People interested in OT security can follow CompTIA’s SecOT+ page for updates and, in the meantime, study the domains listed above.

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.