OT Cybersecurity and Industrial IT for the Houston Ship Channel

IT for Petrochemical & Refining

The Houston Ship Channel is the largest petrochemical complex in the United States and one of the most consequential cybersecurity environments in the world. Refineries, chemical plants, terminals, and midstream operators must protect process control systems from ransomware and nation-state threats while satisfying TSA directives, ISA/IEC 62443, CFATS, and cyber insurance underwriting. LayerLogix delivers managed IT and OT cybersecurity services built for the unique demands of Gulf Coast petrochemical and refining operations.

SOC 2 Compliant
24/7 Support
30+ Years Experience

What We Offer

Comprehensive solutions tailored for Houston-area businesses

OT / IT Network Segmentation

The Purdue reference model and ISA/IEC 62443 require strict segmentation between corporate IT and plant OT networks. We design and implement segmented zones, conduits, and DMZs that protect the process network from commodity ransomware without breaking the data flows your operations and business teams depend on.

SCADA & ICS Cybersecurity

Honeywell, Emerson, Yokogawa, Rockwell, and Siemens control systems need cybersecurity protection that respects their availability and determinism requirements. We deploy passive OT monitoring, network visibility, and protective controls that strengthen your ICS security without interfering with the process.

ISA/IEC 62443 Compliance

The recognized global standard for industrial automation cybersecurity. We perform zone and conduit analysis, security level assessment, and gap remediation against 62443-2-1 and 62443-3-3. Essential for refinery operators, EPCs, and systems integrators working across the Gulf Coast.

TSA Pipeline Cybersecurity Directive Support

Pipeline operators must meet TSA Security Directives Pipeline-2021-01B and subsequent directives covering incident reporting, vulnerability assessments, cybersecurity implementation plans, and architectural controls. We help midstream and refinery operators achieve and document compliance.

Process Safety & High-Availability IT

Plant systems that support process safety — alarms, historians, safety instrumented systems, and engineering workstations — must be highly available and carefully managed. We provide patching strategies, change control, and redundant infrastructure that respect OT's availability-first requirements.

Secure Remote Access for Vendors & Engineers

Controlled, auditable remote access for DCS vendors, instrumentation engineers, and SIS specialists — replacing legacy modems and unmanaged jump boxes with modern privileged access management that logs every session and enforces least privilege.

Why Choose LayerLogix?

Serving businesses throughout the Greater Houston area including Houston, The Woodlands, Spring, Katy, Sugar Land, Conroe, Pearland, Dallas, Austin.

Protect Against Ransomware Crossing Into OT

The Colonial Pipeline incident showed how IT-side ransomware can force OT shutdowns. Our segmentation, monitoring, and incident response protect the process network from IT-side compromise — preserving your operational continuity and protecting revenue.

Satisfy Regulators, Insurers, and Customers

TSA directives, CFATS, insurance cyber underwriting, and major-owner audits all demand documented industrial cybersecurity programs. We help you build and maintain the evidence package that satisfies every stakeholder.

Minimize Unplanned Downtime

For a refinery or ethylene cracker, unplanned downtime can mean millions of dollars per day. Our change control, patch management, and OT-aware monitoring reduce the IT and cybersecurity causes of unplanned shutdowns.

Bridge the IT / OT Organizational Gap

IT and operations often speak different languages and operate on different priorities. We bring both perspectives — enterprise IT discipline combined with respect for the process — and help build the collaboration your security program needs.

Purpose-Built for the Gulf Coast

We operate in the Houston Ship Channel corridor and understand the local ecosystem — the contractor workforce, the permitting environment, the hurricane preparedness demands, and the specific systems deployed across Baytown, Pasadena, Deer Park, Texas City, and Beaumont-Port Arthur.

Our Process

1
OT/IT environment assessment and asset inventory
2
ISA/IEC 62443 zone and conduit analysis
3
Segmentation design and DMZ architecture
4
Passive OT monitoring and visibility deployment
5
Secure remote access replacement for legacy methods
6
TSA directive or CFATS compliance documentation
7
IR playbooks and tabletop exercises
8
Ongoing managed OT and IT services with change control

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you understand industrial control systems, not just corporate IT?
Yes. We work with DCS, PLC, SIS, and SCADA environments across Houston-area petrochemical and refining facilities. We understand the Purdue model, deterministic control requirements, the availability-first culture of OT, and why you can't just push a Windows patch to an engineering workstation without impact assessment.
How do you deploy security in OT without disrupting the process?
Passive monitoring first. We use non-intrusive network visibility tools that observe OT traffic without injecting packets or touching ICS endpoints. Any active controls are deployed only after detailed impact analysis, with change control approvals and rollback plans. OT availability is always the priority.
Are you familiar with Honeywell, Emerson, Yokogawa, and other DCS vendors?
Yes. We work alongside the major DCS OEMs and their engineered service teams. We don't replace the vendor's control system expertise — we provide the cybersecurity, network, and IT infrastructure that surrounds and protects it.
Can you help with TSA Pipeline Security Directives?
Yes. We support midstream and terminal operators subject to the TSA Pipeline Cybersecurity Directives — preparing cybersecurity implementation plans, executing vulnerability assessments, implementing the required architectural controls, and documenting everything for TSA inspectors.
Do you handle hurricane and emergency resilience?
Yes. Gulf Coast operations must account for hurricane season. We design network resilience, off-site backup replication, emergency communications, and rapid recovery procedures for hurricane scenarios — something every Houston-area operator needs built into their IT plan.
Can you support both the refinery side and the corporate office?
Yes — that's actually our sweet spot. Many Houston petrochemical operators have a corporate office that needs standard managed IT, a plant or terminal with OT requirements, and a DMZ in between. We manage all three as a single integrated program.

Ready to Get Started?

Contact LayerLogix today for a free consultation. We serve businesses throughout Houston, The Woodlands, Spring, and the surrounding Greater Houston area.