Advanced manufacturing · Burlington, Ontario
IT Services for Burlington Manufacturers
Manufacturing environments run ERP and MES systems, PLCs and SCADA networks side by side, and a technology failure translates directly into idle production lines rather than an abstract inconvenience. We support Burlington manufacturers on the segmentation, access control and change discipline needed to keep production, quality and shipping systems available.
What this covers
- ERP and MES availability engineered around production hours
- IT/OT network segmentation aligned to the Purdue model
- IEC 62443 zones and conduits for control system networks
- Controlled, logged remote access for OT vendors
- RTO/RPO targets tied to the cost of line downtime
01IT/OT segmentation
Separating the plant floor from the office network
The Purdue model gives manufacturers a proven way to describe and enforce the boundary between enterprise IT and industrial control systems.
The Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture separates the environment into levels, from enterprise systems (Level 4/5) through operations management (Level 3) down to control and field devices (Levels 0-2). Traffic between levels should pass through a defined demilitarised zone rather than a flat network where an office workstation and a PLC share a broadcast domain. Segmentation reduces the blast radius of a ransomware event that begins in email or a laptop and stops it from reaching the equipment that actually runs the line.
IEC 62443 extends this into zones and conduits: groups of assets with similar security requirements are placed in a zone, and the conduits between zones carry only the traffic that is explicitly required, monitored, and where practical, restricted by protocol. This is a design exercise, not a product purchase, and it starts with an asset inventory of what is actually connected to the OT network, which is frequently more than the documentation shows.
ERP and MES availability sits at the intersection of these worlds. Scheduling, inventory and quality data depend on IT infrastructure, while the shop-floor terminals and data collection devices that feed those systems often sit on, or near, the OT network. Segmentation has to account for these legitimate crossing points rather than treating the boundary as absolute.
Vendor remote access to control systems is one of the most common ways segmentation gets undermined in practice, which is why it is addressed directly in the next section.
02Scope of support
Where our work applies on the plant floor and in the office
Coverage spans enterprise IT, the IT/OT boundary, and the governance around vendor and change activity.
- ERP and MES server and network availability
- IT/OT network segmentation design and firewalling
- Asset inventory of connected OT and IT devices
- IEC 62443 zone and conduit documentation support
- Controlled, time-boxed, logged vendor remote access
- Jump host and privileged access management for OT
- Change enablement scheduled around production windows
- Backup and disaster recovery for ERP, MES and file systems
- Endpoint protection for office and engineering workstations
- Wireless coverage for handheld scanning and data collection
- Firewall and switch management across plant and office VLANs
- Cyber incident response planning with production impact in scope
03Operational risk
Why downtime, not data loss, drives the design
Recovery objectives for a manufacturer are set by the cost of a stopped line, not by a generic backup policy.
Ransomware and shipping
A ransomware event that reaches ERP or warehouse systems stops order fulfilment and shipping even if the production line itself is untouched, because pick lists, bills of lading and inventory records become unavailable.
RTO and RPO by system
Recovery time and recovery point objectives are set per system based on the cost of an hour of downtime, not applied uniformly. ERP, MES and quality systems typically warrant tighter targets than general file storage.
Change enablement around production
Patching, firmware updates and configuration changes to production-adjacent systems follow ITIL 4 change enablement practices and are scheduled around planned downtime and shift patterns, not pushed on a generic overnight window.
Vendor remote access governance
Machine builders and OT integrators are granted time-boxed, logged access through a controlled path rather than an open VPN or a modem left connected, addressing a common finding in industrial security assessments.
Control mapping
Segmentation, access control and monitoring practices are mapped to NIST CSF 2.0 functions and CIS Controls so security work has a defensible structure for insurance and customer due diligence.
Readiness support, not certification
Where a customer or insurer requires evidence of IEC 62443 or ISO/IEC 27001 alignment, we support the documentation and technical evidence gathering. Griffin IT Group does not issue certifications or audit opinions.
FAQCommon questions
Questions Burlington organizations ask
Can you support our plant floor without disrupting production?
Yes. Network changes, patching and OT-adjacent work are scheduled through a change enablement process built around your production calendar, with rollback plans agreed in advance. We do not make changes to production-adjacent infrastructure without a defined window.
Do you replace our MES or ERP vendor's support?
No. We work alongside your ERP and MES vendors, providing the underlying infrastructure, network and access management that their applications depend on. Application-level support and licensing remain with the software vendor.
How do you handle our OT integrators' remote access?
Vendor and integrator access is provisioned through a controlled remote access path with time-limited sessions and full activity logging, rather than a standing VPN connection or a device left permanently reachable. Access is reviewed and can be revoked immediately.
What does IEC 62443 alignment actually involve for a smaller manufacturer?
It typically starts with an asset inventory and network diagram, followed by defining zones of similar-risk assets and the conduits between them. Most Burlington manufacturers begin with a small number of high-value segmentation changes rather than a full IEC 62443 program.
NEXTRelated capabilities
Segmentation and access control work best alongside monitored infrastructure
IT/OT boundaries hold only when the underlying network, patching and backup practices are managed continuously.
Providing Two Decades of IT Experience
Request an IT assessment for your Burlington organization
We review your current environment, security posture, cloud footprint and support model, then outline what to fix first and what it should cost.