Take Back CONTROL of User Access to Your Critical Systems

The Cost of Waiting

Why You Need to Take Back Control of User Access Now!

The Risk is Growing – Why Waiting is No Longer an Option

Cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure are increasing at an alarming rate. Attackers and nation-states are exploiting weaknesses in remote access, outdated VPNs, and fragmented identity management, leading to costly and disruptive breaches. The data speaks for itself:

• 71% of major OT cyber-attacks leveraged remote services as an entry point.¹
• U.S. utilities saw a 70% increase in cyberattacks in 2024 compared to 2023.²
• Dragos reports an 87% surge in ransomware attacks on industrial environments, with a growing focus on disrupting OT operations.

Every day you delay taking action, attackers become more sophisticated, and your organization remains vulnerable. Critical infrastructure operators must acknowledge that cyber adversaries are actively targeting remote access systems, identity controls, and unmonitored user sessions to infiltrate networks and disrupt operations.

Beyond the security risks, regulatory compliance is tightening, and failure to comply with mandates like NERC CIP, IEC 62443, and TSA Security Directives can lead to steep fines and even operational shutdowns. The message from regulators is clear: secure user access is no longer optional—it’s an operational imperative.

By taking action now, organizations can close these security gaps, eliminate unnecessary risks, and ensure compliance before it’s too late. Waiting increases the likelihood of a breach, a costly compliance violation, or an operational disruption that could have been prevented.

The True Cost of Delaying Action

Delaying the implementation of robust user access controls exposes organizations to significant financial, operational, and reputational risks.

Financial Costs:

• Escalating Breach Expenses: The global average cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million in 2024, marking a 10% increase over the previous year. Cyberattacks cost energy and utility companies $4.72M per incident.⁴
• Regulatory Fines and Legal Actions: Non-compliance with cybersecurity mandates such as NERC CIP, IEC 62443, and TSA Security Directives can lead to substantial fines and legal repercussions.

Operational Costs:

• Downtime and Disruptions: Inadequate user access controls can result in system downtime, operational disruptions, and decreased productivity.
• Delayed Responses: Inefficient access controls can slow down incident response times and hinder timely maintenance, exacerbating operational challenges.

Reputation Damage:

• Loss of Trust: Customers, partners, and regulators may lose confidence in organizations that fail to protect their critical systems or fail to demonstrate regulatory compliance, leading to diminished business opportunities and market share.

Proactively securing user access is essential to avoid these escalating costs and maintain operational integrity.

The Fastest Way to Secure User Access and Achieve Compliance

Many organizations hesitate to adopt new security solutions because of concerns over complexity, long deployment timelines, and integration challenges. With Xona, those barriers are eliminated.

Unlike traditional access control solutions, PAM and RPAM solutions, and ZTNA solutions that take months or more to implement, Xona deploys in under an hour per site. And with no network reconfigurations required and no additional software agents to install, organizations can quickly transition from an outdated, high-risk remote access environment to a secure, identity-based access model that enforces least privilege and ensures compliance from day one.

Xona also eliminates VPN-related risks by replacing traditional network-based remote access with a secure, browser-based authentication system. This means no broad network access, no open ports, and no reliance on outdated security models that attackers frequently exploit.

For organizations subject to strict compliance regulations, Xona’s platform provides pre-configured security controls, full session recording, and real-time auditing features that simplify regulatory adherence while enhancing security. Compliance with NERC CIP, IEC 62443, TSA security directives, and other mandates is no longer a burden—it’s built into the platform from the moment of deployment.

The reality is clear: the longer organizations wait to secure their user access, the greater the risk becomes. But with Xona, that risk can be mitigated immediately.

What’s the Risk of Acting Now? None. What’s the Risk of Waiting? Everything. The choice is simple: act now and take control or wait and risk becoming the next target of an avoidable cyberattack. Competitors are already moving toward secure, zero-trust access solutions—don’t let your organization fall behind. Every day without action is a day where security gaps remain open, compliance risks grow, and operational inefficiencies persist.

Xona enables organizations to eliminate user access risks instantly with a frictionless, zero-client deployment that integrates seamlessly with existing OT and IT environments. There is no downside to acting now—but the potential consequences of waiting can be severe.

Secure your infrastructure today, and ensure that your critical systems remain operational, compliant, and protected against the growing wave of cyber threats against critical infrastructure.

Endnotes

1. New Study Reveals 92% of Industrial Sites at Risk from Unsecured Remote Access, Takepoint Research, 2024.
2. Cyberattacks on US utilities surged 70% this year, says Check Point, Reuters, September 11, 2024.
3. Takepoint Research Newsletter, February 28, 2025.
4. Cost of a Data Breach Report, IBM, 2024.