The 2025 CPS Protection Platforms Gartner Magic Quadrant: What It Means for Cyber-Physical Security
Cyber threats aren’t just targeting traditional IT systems — they're going after industrial control systems, smart buildings, medical devices, and even the infrastructure that keeps our cities running. The latest Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) Protection Platforms makes it clear: the way organisations protect these systems is evolving, and fast.
If your business relies on operational technology (OT), industrial control systems (ICS), or the Internet of Things (IoT), this Gartner report should be on your radar.
By 2027, three out of four organisations in these industries will be using a dedicated security platform to safeguard their physical and digital assets.
The reason? Cybercriminals are shifting their focus to these areas, and traditional IT security tools just aren’t cutting it.
Some Key Takeaways:
1. Cybersecurity Is Moving from Awareness to Action
For years, companies have focused on gaining visibility into their cyber-physical environments—figuring out what’s connected, what’s vulnerable, and what’s at risk. But awareness alone isn’t enough anymore.
Gartner predicts that by 2027, nearly half of all businesses in this space will choose security tools based on their ability to respond and remediate threats in real time, rather than just providing alerts.
2. Who’s Leading the Pack?
Several companies are setting the standard in this space. The Leaders in the 2025 Magic Quadrant include:
3. The Rise of AI in Security
AI is playing a huge role in this market. Darktrace, listed as a Visionary, is using self-learning AI to detect cyber threats before they happen. But the challenge? Many businesses still see it as an IT security company, and adoption in the OT space is slower.
4. The Biggest Shift: IT and OT Security Are Finally Merging
In the past, cybersecurity for IT networks and physical systems (like manufacturing plants or smart grids) were handled separately. Now, that’s changing.
Companies like Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, and OTORIO are bringing IT and OT security together, but they’re still catching up to industry leaders when it comes to deep OT expertise.
5. Compliance Is Driving Cybersecurity Budgets
Governments worldwide are tightening regulations around critical infrastructure security. With the SOCI act, NIS2 in Europe and CISA’s cybersecurity mandates in the U.S., companies have to prove they’re secure—or risk fines and reputational damage.
What This Means for You
If you’re responsible for securing industrial environments, medical devices, manufacturing plants, or any other cyber-physical system, this Magic Quadrant can serve as a guide to selecting the correct vendor for your OT security requirements.
The focus is shifting from a lack of visibility or just monitoring threats to actively stopping them and the best platforms will help improve the resilience of these critical networks.
If you're interested in learning more about the options available in the market, and an organisation that understands that one size does not fit all, please get in touch!