Industrial Cybersecurity
First Watch Prevents Unauthorised Changes to Industrial Control Systems
Purpose-built protection for SCADA workstations, PLCs, and industrial networks. Not adapted from IT. Built by automation engineers who understand operational technology.
Visibility Without Control Is Not Security
Most OT security tools monitor and alert. They tell you something happened — after it happened. First Watch actively prevents unauthorised changes before they reach your control systems. The difference is not incremental. It is fundamental.
Engineered for Industrial Automation Environments
Three Components. Complete Protection
First Watch protects at every layer of the OT environment — from the workstation to the network to the central management plane.
ControlGuard
Workstation Lockdown
Application whitelisting and change detection for SCADA and engineering workstations. Only approved software runs. Every change is logged.
PLC Guard
PLC Traffic Enforcement
Deep packet inspection and enforcement across industrial control protocols. Unauthorised PLC program uploads, firmware changes, and configuration modifications are detected and blocked in real time.
Controller
Central Management
Unified dashboard for policy management, alerting, compliance reporting, and deployment oversight across all protected assets.
Deployed in Six Steps. Active Protection for OT
A phased deployment approach — from monitoring to enforcement, without operational disruption.
Solution Design
Define what needs to be protected — and how.
- Define scope, assets, and protection boundaries
- Assess operational risks and constraints
- Align with customer procedures and environment
Deployment (Monitoring Mode)
Deploy without disruption.
- Platform runs in non-enforcing monitoring mode
- Automatic asset discovery and mapping
- No impact on operations during deployment
Observation
Understand real system behaviour.
- Monitor changes across assets
- Detect new assets and deviations
- Establish baseline of normal operation
Validation (Audit Mode)
Test policies safely.
- Policies applied in audit mode (no enforcement)
- Evaluate impact without blocking actions
- Refine policies with engineering oversight
Enforcement
Activate protection with confidence.
- Policies move to enforcement mode
- Unauthorised actions are blocked
- Real-time alerts and response
Controlled Operation
Maintain protection under full control.
- Stable, protected system operation
- Controlled maintenance aligned with procedures
- Policy updates through change control processes
Proven in Real Deployments
First Watch protects operational infrastructure across energy, water, and renewable energy sectors.
Utility-Scale Power Facility
Detected and blocked a 7-stage attack targeting generation control systems. From initial USB insertion through attempted PLC reprogramming — every stage was identified and prevented.
National Water Utility
2 treatment plants, 9 reservoirs, over 10,000 monitored assets. Full deployment from initial install to enforcement in under 90 days.
National Grid Connected Solar Farm
Remote location with intermittent connectivity. Offline enforcement ensures protection continues even when the central controller is unreachable.
“Built by Automation Engineers. Not Adapted from IT”
First Watch was created by engineers who spent their careers building and maintaining industrial control systems. We understand that OT security must work within operational constraints — not against them.
Bob Stokes, Founder and Managing Director
Ready to Protect Your Control Systems?
Talk to our team about how First Watch can be deployed in your environment. No obligation, no hard sell — just a straightforward conversation about your OT security needs.