As industrial systems become more connected and digitally driven, cybersecurity is no longer just a technical concern—it is a financial and operational risk. To help industrial organizations better understand and justify cybersecurity investments, global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has launched a new Operational Technology (OT) Cybersecurity Savings Calculator, designed to translate cyber risks into clear financial metrics.
The new tool targets a long-standing challenge in industrial cybersecurity: the gap between technical risk assessments and executive decision-making. While security teams often understand the vulnerabilities within OT environments, boardrooms and senior executives typically require financial justification before allocating budgets. Kaspersky’s OT calculator aims to bridge this divide.
Making Cyber Risk Understandable to Business Leaders
Industrial organisations increasingly rely on interconnected OT systems to run factories, energy plants, transport networks, and critical infrastructure. These systems, once isolated, are now exposed to cyber threats that can disrupt operations, cause safety incidents, and lead to significant financial losses.
Kaspersky’s OT calculator allows organisations to input key data points, including industry sector, company size, geographic region, past breach history, and current cybersecurity measures. Based on these inputs, the tool estimates potential financial losses from cyber incidents and calculates the savings that could be achieved through improved security controls.
By converting abstract cyber risks into monetary values, the calculator helps executives evaluate cybersecurity investments in the same way they would assess capital expenditure, insurance, or operational risk.
Rising Costs of Industrial Cyber Incidents
The launch comes at a time when cyber incidents in industrial environments are becoming more frequent and costly. Research cited by Kaspersky shows that more than 60% of industrial companies experienced significant financial losses from cybersecurity incidents in the past year. These costs often extend beyond immediate system downtime to include production delays, regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and long-term recovery expenses.
Despite these risks, many industrial organisations still struggle with underfunded or fragmented cybersecurity programmes. Competing business priorities, combined with limited visibility into the financial impact of cyber threats, often leave OT environments exposed.
Kaspersky says the new calculator is designed to help organisations move from reactive security spending to proactive, data-driven planning.
Supporting Smarter Security Investment Decisions
Beyond estimating potential losses, the OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator benchmarks organisations against industry peers, offering insights into how their security posture compares with similar companies. This benchmarking feature helps security leaders and executives understand whether they are under-investing, over-investing, or misallocating resources.
The tool also provides actionable recommendations, enabling organisations to prioritise security controls that deliver the greatest risk reduction and financial return. This approach aligns cybersecurity more closely with business strategy, rather than treating it as a standalone IT expense.
According to Kaspersky, the calculator is particularly valuable for organisations operating in highly regulated or capital-intensive sectors such as manufacturing, energy, oil and gas, and utilities, where system downtime can quickly translate into millions of dollars in losses.
Relevance for High-Growth Industrial Regions
Kaspersky highlighted the relevance of the tool in regions experiencing rapid industrial expansion, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Governments across the region are investing heavily in industrial growth through national strategies such as the UAE’s Operation 300bn, Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP), and Qatar’s National Manufacturing Strategy.
As these initiatives push for greater automation, smart manufacturing, and digital integration, cybersecurity becomes a foundational requirement for sustainable growth. Tools that help quantify cyber risk in financial terms are increasingly important for aligning security investments with national industrial goals.
Extending the Model Beyond Industrial Systems
In addition to the OT calculator, Kaspersky also offers an IT Security Calculator designed for non-industrial organisations. This tool applies a similar methodology, helping businesses across sectors evaluate cybersecurity risks, estimate potential losses, and assess the financial impact of different security measures.
Together, the calculators reflect Kaspersky’s broader strategy of positioning cybersecurity as a business enabler rather than a cost centre—an approach that resonates as organisations face tighter budgets and growing regulatory scrutiny.
A Shift Toward Business-Driven Cybersecurity
As cyber threats continue to evolve, industrial organisations are under pressure to justify security investments with measurable outcomes. By translating technical vulnerabilities into financial language, Kaspersky’s OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator represents a shift toward more business-driven cybersecurity planning.
For executives, the tool offers clearer visibility into risk exposure. For security teams, it provides a stronger foundation for budget discussions. And for industrial organizations navigating digital transformation, it reinforces the idea that cybersecurity is not optional—but a critical pillar of operational resilience and long-term profitability.
