CYBER RANGES, OTIFYD unveil cyber-physical OT readiness approach for oil and gas

CYBER RANGES and OTIFYD are showcasing a joint OT cybersecurity model at AUTOMA 2026 in Amsterdam, aimed at helping oil and gas operators test cyber and physical response before a real incident. The partnership blends attack simulation with real industrial hardware to train teams across detection, containment, recovery and decision-making under pressure.

Why it matters: - Oil and gas operators face cyber risks that can disrupt physical processes, not just IT systems. - The CYBER RANGES-OTIFYD approach is designed to help organizations test response and recovery without endangering live operations. - The model focuses on readiness across cybersecurity, engineering, operations and management teams.

What happened: - CYBER RANGES and OTIFYD are presenting their joint hybrid OT cybersecurity approach at AUTOMA 2026 Oil & Gas in Amsterdam. - The two companies say they have been working together since 2025 to combine cyber and physical capabilities for realistic cyber-physical incident training. - The demonstration is aimed at the international oil and gas community.

The details: - CYBER RANGES provides high-fidelity virtual enterprise and OT environments where teams can practice detection, investigation and containment against realistic adversary tactics. - OTIFYD contributes consultancy services built around its Physical Twin Wall and Physical Twin Lab concepts. - OTIFYD’s setup uses real industrial components, including PLCs, HMIs, sensors and actuators, to recreate operational environments. - The combined exercise can extend from the first signs of a cyberattack through impact on physical processes and recovery. - Teams can train together as one organization and test technical response, decision-making under pressure, safe operations and recovery. - The companies say the approach helps organizations identify gaps, validate response and recovery, and build muscle memory for real incidents. - Dr. Almerindo Graziano, CEO of CYBER RANGES, said OT resilience cannot be proven on paper or through tabletop exercises alone. - Ali Bozorgmir, Global Director - OT Security Solutions at OTIFYD, said customers want hyper-realistic replica environments using real hardware, real software and real-world cyberattack scenarios.

Between the lines: - The partnership reflects a broader shift in OT security toward experiential training instead of static planning. - The emphasis on physical replicas suggests operators are looking for exercises that mirror the operational complexity of real plants, not generic cyber labs. - The collaboration also signals that readiness is increasingly being treated as a cross-functional operations issue, not only a security issue.

What's next: - CYBER RANGES and OTIFYD are using AUTOMA 2026 to show how repeatable exercises can support preparedness in oil and gas. - The companies expect operators to use these environments to close response gaps before an incident happens. - The partnership is positioned to support further adoption of cyber-physical training across critical infrastructure sectors.

The bottom line: - The pitch is simple: oil and gas companies need to rehearse cyber incidents in environments that behave like real operations, not slide decks.