A new global cybersecurity push is reshaping how critical infrastructure operators defend power and water systems, as OPSWAT and Emerson announce a strategic reseller agreement aimed at hardening industrial operations against rising cyber threats.

 

Under the partnership, the two companies will bring OPSWAT’s cybersecurity technologies into Emerson’s global power and water customer base, with the first major step being the integration of OPSWAT’s operational technology (OT) patch management capabilities into Emerson’s Ovation Automation Platform.

 

The move expands an already active collaboration, adding OPSWAT’s MetaDefender Endpoint and My OPSWAT Central Management On-Premises into Emerson’s cybersecurity suite for critical infrastructure environments.

 

“Our customers need cybersecurity solutions designed specifically for operational technology—not adapted from IT,” said Robert Yeager, President of Emerson's power and water solutions business. 

 

“They benefit from purpose-built OT cybersecurity solutions that protect critical, real-time industrial systems while supporting availability, performance, and safe operations. Collaborating with OPSWAT enhances our ability to help operators protect their Ovation Automation Platform with a modern, OT appropriate approach to patch management. It reflects our commitment to delivering proven, efficient, best-in-class protection for critical infrastructure.”

 

The timing comes as power grids and water utilities face escalating cyberattacks, tightening regulations, and growing exposure from unpatched vulnerabilities—risks compounded by a mix of legacy systems and newer digital tools.

 

OPSWAT says its approach is designed specifically for that reality.

 

“As LLMs, automation, and digital transformation accelerate across power and water infrastructure, the attack surface expands just as quickly,” said Benny Czarny, Founder and CEO of OPSWAT. 

 

“In environments where safety and availability are mission critical, cybersecurity cannot rely on traditional IT assumptions but must be deterministic, scalable, and engineered specifically for OT realities. Partnering with Emerson allows us to embed that prevention-first philosophy directly into one of the world's most trusted automation platforms. This is not simply about patching vulnerabilities. It is about fortifying the resilience and continuity of the essential systems that power modern society.”

 

Emerson says the Ovation platform is already deployed at more than 800 sites worldwide, supporting utilities that require high-availability systems backed by industrial-grade security.