# NSA Issues Zero Trust OT Guidance

On October 9, 2026, the National Security Agency (NSA) issued guidance recommending that operators of National Security Systems, Department of War (DoW), and Defense Industrial Base (DIB) operational technology (OT) environments apply Zero Trust principles. The guidance calls for continuous verification of users, devices, workflows, and communications to help protect legacy and other critical OT systems from unauthorized access, lateral movement, and persistent cyber threats. It announces no solicitation, contract award, funding, or procurement deadline.

- Contractors supporting these environments can assess whether their OT cybersecurity, identity and access controls, supply-chain risk management, and AI security offerings align with the guidance.
- The guidance is a security recommendation, not a stated new mandatory compliance requirement; companies should avoid treating it as a contract requirement unless it is incorporated into applicable acquisition documents.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Information Technology
**Topics:** Cybersecurity
**Published:** October 09, 2026

### Government Entities
- National Security Agency (NSA)
- Department of War (DoW)

### Sources
- [
	NSA Releases Zero Trust Guidance for Protecting Operational Technology Systems > National Security Agency/Central Security Service > Press Release View
](https://www.nsa.gov/Press-Room/Press-Releases-Statements/Press-Release-View/Article/4621936/nsa-releases-zero-trust-guidance-for-protecting-operational-technology-systems/) - NSA
- [
	NSA Releases Zero Trust Guidance for Protecting Operational Technology Systems > National Security Agency/Central Security Service > Press Release View
](https://www.nsa.gov/Press-Room/Press-Releases-Statements/Press-Release-View/Article/4621936/nsa-releases-zero-trust-guidance-for-protecting-operational-technology-systems) - National Security Agency (NSA) (.gov)
- [NSA Outlines Zero Trust Model for Operational Technology](https://www.executivegov.com/articles/nsa-guidance-zero-trust-model-operational-technology) - ExecutiveGov