Implementing edge computing in industrial operations brings major benefits in efficiency and responsiveness, but several core security challenges must be addressed. One issue is the sheer scale and heterogeneity of devices at the industrial edge: many legacy systems, disconnected network segments and mixed vendor equipment make visibility and management difficult. Physical and network access points proliferate, increasing the attack surface. Secondly, there’s often a lack of standardized security frameworks tailored for edge deployments in industrial environments, meaning practices vary widely, controls may be inconsistent and change management is weak.

Another challenge is balancing real-time operational demands with cybersecurity requirements. Industrial edge systems must maintain availability and performance, and aggressive patching or segmentation changes may be infeasible. Meanwhile, connectivity to cloud or remote systems exposes data flows and elevates risk of lateral movement. A further concern is that many edge components live outside centralized IT governance, creating gaps in policy enforcement, monitoring and incident response. Finally, workforce and process issues persist: personnel may lack the skills or visibility to detect threats unique to edge environments, and organizational separation between IT, OT and edge teams hampers integrated risk management. To meet these challenges, organizations should adopt unified visibility tools, apply standards such as ISA/IEC 62443 for edge-specific controls, ensure robust segmentation and monitoring, and embed security processes into edge operations from design through lifecycle.

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Source: https://gca.isa.org/blog/overcoming-5-challenges-in-industrial-edge-security