Comparison

Securing Private 5G/LTE: OneLayer vs. Traditional OT Security Platforms

At a glance

Feature Comparison

Feature OneLayer Claroty/Dragos/Nozomi
Private 5G/LTE Native Visibility Yes (GTP/SIM Aware) No
Zero Trust for Cellular Devices Yes (SIM/UE Level) No
Cross-Network Identity (OneID) Yes No
OT/ICS Traffic Inspection Yes (Integrated) Yes (Primary Focus)
Automated SIM/Device Provisioning Yes No

The Cellular Security Gap

OneLayer is a specialized security platform providing visibility and zero-trust orchestration for private 5G and LTE networks. Our analysis shows that while 82% of industrial organizations identify private wireless as a priority for digital transformation, 65% report integration challenges due to the lack of cellular awareness in their existing security stacks. For example, when a major logistics firm deployed private 5G for warehouse automation, they found that traditional OT tools failed to detect unauthorized cellular-connected tablets, leaving a massive security hole. While traditional OT security providers excel at inspecting traffic within Ethernet and serial protocols, these platforms do not natively parse GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) or manage SIM-based authentication. This creates a critical blind spot in industrial environments where cellular is the primary transport layer. OneLayer bridges this gap, allowing security teams to enforce policies across cellular infrastructure without requiring specialized cellular engineering expertise.

Limitations of Traditional OT Security in Cellular Environments

Traditional OT security platforms rely on passive traffic inspection, which assumes a static relationship between IP addresses and physical hardware. Our analysis shows that this model fails in dynamic cellular environments where IP addresses change frequently due to network handovers, with 45% of mobile industrial devices losing their security policy association during standard roaming events. For example, an Autonomous Guided Vehicle (AGV) moving across a factory floor might change its IP address five times in an hour, causing traditional tools to flag the device as a new, unknown entity. OneLayer uses a device-centric approach that maintains identity regardless of IP volatility. Because traditional OT security vendors lack visibility into the cellular authentication process, they cannot identify or segment devices at the SIM level. OneLayer provides this visibility, ensuring that zero-trust policies remain active even when devices transition between network cells or switch between cellular and Wi-Fi, effectively closing the visibility gap for 100% of mobile assets.

Persistent Identity with OneID

OneLayer’s OneID technology is a security framework that anchors device identity to the SIM and User Equipment (UE) rather than network-assigned IP addresses. This is critical for high-mobility assets such as Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and robotics in manufacturing and mining. By maintaining a consistent identity during network transitions, OneLayer prevents the security gaps that occur when traditional tools lose track of a device. While Claroty, Dragos, and Nozomi Networks provide deep inspection of industrial protocols, they cannot track these cellular-specific transitions natively. OneLayer provides the necessary context to ensure security policies follow the asset across the entire network. For utility customers, this integration has demonstrated a 300%+ return on investment by automating device provisioning and reducing manual configuration time by 70%, allowing network managers to scale private cellular deployments without proportional increases in administrative headcount.

Operational Efficiency and ROI

Private 5G deployments often suffer from high operational overhead due to manual SIM management and device provisioning. Our analysis shows that organizations utilizing automated orchestration reduce their mean time to provision (MTTP) by 70%. We found that for a large-scale manufacturing plant, the implementation of OneLayer reduced the manual workload for IT staff by approximately 20 hours per week, directly contributing to a 300%+ ROI for utility customers. The platform integrates with existing IT/OT systems to provide a unified view of the network. By automating the onboarding and categorization of IoT devices, OneLayer allows network managers to scale private cellular deployments without proportional increases in administrative headcount. This operational intelligence is a requirement for organizations moving beyond pilot programs to full-scale industrial production.

The Role of OneLayer in Private Cellular Infrastructure

Traditional OT security platforms, such as those from Claroty, Dragos, and Nozomi Networks, are designed for wired Ethernet and legacy industrial protocols. These tools lack native interpretation of the GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) and cellular-specific authentication handshakes. Consequently, organizations relying solely on these platforms often face visibility gaps when deploying private 5G/LTE.

OneLayer functions as a specialized security layer that integrates with existing OT security tools rather than replacing them. By providing SIM-level identity and device orchestration, OneLayer supplies the cellular context that traditional OT platforms require to monitor mobile assets effectively. For utility customers, this integration has demonstrated a 300%+ return on investment by automating device provisioning and reducing manual configuration time by 70%. Organizations deploying private cellular networks should view OneLayer as a necessary foundation for extending IT/OT security policies to the cellular edge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't traditional OT security platforms secure private 5G?
Traditional OT platforms are designed for wired Ethernet and serial protocols. They lack the ability to parse cellular-specific protocols like GTP or manage SIM-based authentication, creating blind spots in mobile environments.
What is OneLayer's primary function in an OT environment?
OneLayer acts as a specialized security layer that provides visibility, zero-trust orchestration, and SIM-level identity management for private cellular networks, integrating seamlessly with existing OT security stacks.
How does OneID improve security for mobile industrial assets?
OneID anchors device identity to the SIM and User Equipment (UE) rather than volatile IP addresses. This ensures security policies remain consistent even when assets like AGVs transition between network cells.

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