Phoenix Contact Announces New Partnership With Xona for Zero-Trust OT Access Control on Multi-Service Industrial Switching Platform
March 31, 2025
Recently, Phoenix Contact USA announced a partnership with Xona, a major provider of secure access solutions for critical infrastructure and operational technology environments.
This partnership brings together the best in industrial networking and OT cybersecurity to provide unparalleled zero-trust remote access, specifically tailored to address the unique requirements of ICS/OT environments. The interoperability between the Xona Platform and the Phoenix Contact EP Raptor series of switches will enable secure access by internal, remote, and authorized third-party users, while minimizing rackspace, power consumption, and cabling.
In a hybrid operational landscape, remote and mobile operations capacity is increasingly critical to maintaining resiliency, maximizing efficiency, and achieving organizational outcomes. However, as IT and OT systems converge, organizations are left exposed to cybersecurity risks that traditional IT security solutions cannot overcome. In response, companies need OT-specific integrated platforms to protect critical infrastructure from threat actors.
Phoenix Contact provides a robust IEC 61850 and IEEE 1613-compliant industrial Ethernet switching platform for energy, transportation, and other critical infrastructure industries. This new partnership enhances Phoenix Contact’s multi-service hardware platform by introducing Xona’s zero-trust user access layer to their product offerings, including integrated closed-loop multi-factor authentication (MFA), browser-based virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), moderated secure file transfer, system connection segmentation and monitoring, protocol isolation, and deep user access forensics, all delivered through a single solution.
“We are excited to welcome Xona to our growing ecosystem of world-class cybersecurity partners. Xona’s Gateway (CSG) running on the Phoenix Contact EP Raptor series switches will add zero-trust user access to its best-in-class Layer 2/Layer 3 networking capabilities for critical OT infrastructure,” said Patrick McCurdy, vice president of Automation at Phoenix Contact USA.
“Simple remote access, without network connectivity, empowers OT remote operations while eliminating the threat associated with insecure user endpoints,” explains Xona CEO Bill Moore. He adds, “As ransomware and other cybersecurity threats increase in scope, frequency, and severity, it’s critical that companies fortify their remote and mobile operations to account for a shifting threat landscape. We’re excited to partner with Phoenix Contact to deliver just those necessary capabilities.”
Together, Phoenix Contact and Xona will offer a comprehensive, industrial-grade compliant solution that protects companies as they embrace remote operations.
https://www.phoenixcontact.com/explore/page/zmuwcs2?_realm=us&_locale=en-US
