Industrial Cybersecurity & OT Risk calculator

Network Segmentation ROI Calculator

Use this calculator to screen the business case for OT network segmentation. It supports zone and conduit projects, industrial firewall deployment, remote access containment, and traffic visibility improvements focused on reducing downtime and incident exposure.

What this calculator does

  • Estimate payback for OT network segmentation using project investment, annual risk reduction savings, and annual support cost.
  • Use it when evaluating zones, conduits, industrial firewalls, remote access separation, or plant network redesign.
  • The result estimates payback for a defensive OT segmentation investment.

Formula used

  • Net annual segmentation savings = annual risk reduction savings - annual segmentation support cost
  • Network segmentation payback period = segmentation project investment รท net annual savings

Inputs explained

  • Segmentation project investment: Include design, industrial firewalls, switches, implementation labor, testing, downtime coordination, documentation, and training.
  • Annual risk reduction savings: Use expected savings from reduced downtime exposure, lower incident response cost, easier compliance, faster containment, or avoided production disruption.
  • Annual segmentation support cost: Include firewall administration, rule review, monitoring, spares, license renewals, change management, and support contracts.

How to use the result

  • Use it to compare segmentation scope, funding options, and phased zone or conduit rollout plans.
  • It depends on defensible savings assumptions and does not measure technical security effectiveness by itself.

Common questions

  • What is the network segmentation ROI calculator for? It estimates payback for an OT network segmentation project.
  • What information should I enter? Use investment, annual risk reduction savings, and annual support cost.
  • What does the result tell me? The result helps decide whether segmentation investment is financially justified and how it compares with other controls.
  • When is the result only an estimate? It is only an estimate when downtime exposure, support cost, implementation scope, or risk reduction assumptions change.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.