IEC 62443 is an international series of standards for security in Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS), developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in cooperation with the International Society of Automation (ISA).

What does IEC 62443 cover?

The standard covers the entire lifecycle of industrial systems—from design and development to operation, maintenance, and decommissioning—and includes organizational processes, technical security requirements, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

What core principles does IEC 62443 introduce?

IEC 62443 is based on a risk-driven approach and introduces principles such as zones and conduits, defined security levels (SL), defense in depth, and security integrated throughout the system lifecycle.

What are the Foundational Requirements (FR1–FR7)?

The Foundational Requirements define core security areas within IEC 62443, including identity and authentication, access control, logging and monitoring, system integrity, robustness, and incident response.

How is IEC 62443 related to NIS2?

For organizations operating critical infrastructure or subject to NIS2, IEC 62443 serves as a practical reference framework supporting requirements for risk management, secure architecture, supply-chain security, and incident preparedness.

Provides strategic and technical guidance for interpreting IEC 62443, performing maturity assessments, and establishing governance and security programs for OT environments. Read more about "Security consulting" here > Risk and vulnerability management Supports mapping of OT architecture, identification of risks, and assessment of gaps against IEC 62443 requirements. Read more about "Risk and vulnerability management" here > Security monitoring and response Delivers continuous detection and incident response capabilities across IT and OT environments, aligned with IEC 62443 requirements for monitoring and response. Read more about "Security monitoring and response" here > CISO-for-hire Provides executive-level security leadership to anchor IEC 62443 implementation within management, governance, and regulatory frameworks. Read more about "CISO-for-hire" here >

IEC 62443

What is IEC 62443?

IEC 62443 is an international series of standards developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in collaboration with ISA (International Society of Automation).

The standard is specifically targeted at Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS).

IEC 62443 provides a comprehensive framework for how organizations can design, implement, operate, and maintain security in industrial environments throughout the entire system lifecycle—from design and development to operation, maintenance, and decommissioning.

The standard covers both:

Organizational processes and governance
Technical security requirements for systems and components
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities

This makes IEC 62443 a practical and applicable standard for organizations seeking structured and mature OT security—not just isolated technical controls.

Core principles of IEC 62443

IEC 62443 is based on a risk-based approach and introduces key architectural and security principles, including:

Zones and conduits – segmentation of systems based on function and risk
Security Levels (SL) – defined levels of protection based on the threat landscape
Defense in Depth – multiple layers of security controls
Lifecycle approach – security throughout the entire system lifecycle

The standard also defines Foundational Requirements (FR1–FR7) as fundamental security domains, including identity, access control, logging, robustness, integrity, and incident handling.

IEC 62443 and NIS2

For organizations subject to the NIS2 Directive or operating within critical infrastructure, IEC 62443 is a key reference standard for OT security.

IEC 62443 supports compliance with requirements related to:

Risk management and maturity
Secure architecture and segmentation
Supplier and value chain security
Incident handling and preparedness

The standard therefore provides a concrete and operational framework for meeting regulatory requirements in a structured manner.

Sicra and IEC 62443

Sicra assists organizations in understanding, implementing, and operationalizing IEC 62443 in complex industrial and operational environments.

Through a combination of OT security expertise, risk management, architecture, and strategic advisory services, Sicra helps organizations to:

Map OT architecture and risk
Establish zones, conduits, and secure communication paths
Assess maturity against IEC 62443
Build structured and future-ready security programs

This provides organizations with a robust foundation for secure operations, regulatory compliance, and safe digitalization of industry and critical infrastructure.

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