# NSA Issues Zero Trust OT Guidance

The National Security Agency issued zero trust guidance on October 8, 2026, for operational technology (OT) environments supporting national security, defense, and critical infrastructure missions. The Cybersecurity Information Sheet provides technical recommendations, including considerations for applying continuous verification to legacy OT systems; it does not announce a contract or solicitation and sets no implementation deadline.

- Defense and industrial-base contractors should review the Cybersecurity Information Sheet and assess how their legacy OT systems can support continuous verification.
- Procurement teams can use the guidance as a technical reference when evaluating OT cybersecurity needs and contractor capabilities; the announcement does not establish a mandatory compliance requirement or a specific procurement opportunity.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Cybersecurity
**Published:** October 16, 2026

### Government Entities
- National Security Agency (NSA)

### Sources
- [NSA Issues Zero Trust Guidance for Defense Operational Technology – MeriTalk](https://www.meritalk.com/articles/nsa-issues-zero-trust-guidance-for-defense-operational-technology) - MeriTalk