OT Digital ForensicsDetermine what happened. Understand why. Preserve what matters most.

OT Digital Forensics is the process of collecting, preserving, analyzing, and documenting digital evidence from Operational Technology (OT) environments to determine what happened during a cybersecurity incident, how it occurred, and what operational impact it had.

Unlike traditional IT forensics, OT Digital Forensics considers industrial processes, engineering systems, controllers, historians, industrial protocols, and production operations to reconstruct events without compromising evidence or disrupting critical infrastructure.

Incident Response focuses on containing threats, minimizing operational disruption, and restoring normal operations.

Digital Forensics focuses on understanding exactly what happened by collecting and analyzing evidence. It reconstructs the sequence of events, identifies root cause, determines attacker activity, preserves evidence for legal or regulatory purposes, and documents findings that support future improvements.

Incident Response answers "How do we recover?" while Digital Forensics answers "What happened and why?"

Industrial incidents often involve physical operations, safety systems, regulatory obligations, and business continuity.

Without accurate forensic evidence, organizations may never fully understand how attackers gained access, what systems were affected, what operational consequences occurred, or how to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Digital Forensics transforms uncertainty into evidence-based decision making.

Evidence varies depending on the environment but commonly includes:

• Windows event logs
• Active Directory logs
• Firewall logs
• Historian data
• HMI activity
• Engineering workstation artifacts
• PLC and controller configuration data
• Authentication records
• Network captures
• Industrial protocol communications
• Process alarms
• Maintenance logs
• Asset inventories

Each evidence source contributes to reconstructing the complete sequence of events.

Chain of custody is the documented process used to track digital evidence from collection through analysis and storage.

Mithryl Systems follows strict forensic procedures to ensure evidence remains complete, authentic, and defensible throughout an investigation. Maintaining chain of custody is essential for regulatory reporting, insurance claims, legal proceedings, and executive confidence.

Mithryl Systems follows a structured forensic methodology designed for industrial environments.

Typical investigations include:

1. Preserve the environment and protect evidence.
2. Collect forensic artifacts using sound methods.
3. Correlate evidence across multiple systems.
4. Analyze attacker activity and operational impact.
5. Reconstruct the timeline of events.
6. Produce documented findings and recommendations.

This repeatable process ensures investigations are accurate, defensible, and operationally relevant.

Depending on the incident, investigations may include:

• Engineering workstations
• Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs)
• Historians
• Windows servers
• Active Directory
• Firewalls
• Industrial network monitoring platforms
• PLC-related evidence
• Authentication systems
• Remote access infrastructure
• Operational logs
• Network traffic

The scope of analysis is determined collaboratively based on the incident and operational priorities.

Yes.

Mithryl Systems uses forensic methodologies designed specifically for industrial environments. Evidence collection is carefully planned to minimize operational impact while preserving the integrity of critical systems and maintaining production whenever possible.

Protecting operational continuity is a core principle of every engagement.

The duration depends on the complexity of the incident, the number of affected systems, the amount of available evidence, and organizational requirements.

Initial evidence preservation typically begins immediately, while complete forensic analysis and reporting may continue over several days or weeks depending on the scope of the investigation.

Every investigation produces evidence-based deliverables designed for both technical teams and executive leadership.

Typical deliverables include:

• Forensic Investigation Report
• Evidence Timeline
• Root Cause Analysis
• Evidence Preservation Package
• Regulatory and Legal Support
• Executive Summary
• Operational Recommendations

These deliverables provide organizations with clear documentation for recovery, compliance, and future improvements.

Yes.

Digital Forensics provides documented evidence that supports investigations required by regulatory agencies, auditors, and internal governance teams.

Evidence collected during investigations can help organizations satisfy reporting requirements, demonstrate due diligence, and support compliance with applicable cybersecurity regulations.

Yes.

Many cyber insurance providers require organizations to document what occurred during an incident before processing claims.

Mithryl Systems' forensic investigations provide defensible evidence, documented timelines, root cause analysis, and supporting documentation that may assist organizations during insurance investigations and claims processes.

Evidence is collected using forensically sound methods and handled according to documented preservation procedures.

Every stage of the investigation follows strict administrative, technical, and procedural controls to ensure evidence remains complete, secure, and defensible throughout the investigation lifecycle.

Traditional IT forensics focuses primarily on recovering digital evidence from enterprise systems.

OT Digital Forensics incorporates industrial processes, engineering workflows, operational technology, production systems, and physical consequences into every investigation.

The objective is not only to determine what happened but also to understand how cyber events affected operational resilience, production, safety, and critical infrastructure.

Mithryl Systems combines cybersecurity expertise with operational understanding.

Our investigators analyze evidence within the context of industrial operations, engineering processes, and business objectives rather than viewing incidents solely through an IT security perspective.

Our investigations emphasize:

• Operational context
• Evidence preservation
• Root cause analysis
• Executive reporting
• Regulatory support
• Practical recommendations
• Continuous operational improvement

This approach helps organizations recover, learn, and strengthen their operational resilience.

Organizations can begin by downloading the OT Digital Forensics Datasheet to learn about our investigation methodology, deliverables, and forensic capabilities.

If your organization is responding to an active incident or requires forensic expertise, you can also request a forensic consultation with a Mithryl Systems specialist to discuss your situation, preserve critical evidence, and determine the appropriate next steps.