Anti-Malware for OT: EDR vs. AV

In the machinery space, the “Cure” can be more dangerous than the “Disease.” Standard Antivirus software often consumes high CPU resources or mistakenly quarantines critical OEM drivers, causing a system freeze. To comply with E27, we must implement anti-malware solutions that are “OT-Aware.”

The Conflict: Stability vs. Security

The fundamental challenge of anti-malware on a vessel is the Availability Priority. In an office, an AV-induced reboot is a nuisance; on a bridge during docking, it is a catastrophic failure. Maritime OT requires security that “fails open” or operates with such a low footprint that the HMI never loses its connection to the PLC. Traditional software often lacks this nuance, treating a critical propulsion control service the same way it treats a web browser, leading to high-risk false positives that can take a vessel offline.

Technical Comparison: Choosing the Right Tool

Modern maritime strategies are moving toward Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) to provide proactive detection without the heavy resource drain of traditional scanning.