Xona boosts resilient OT remote access with Platform 5.5

Xona has released version 5.5 of Platform, its secure remote access product for critical infrastructure operators. The update adds features designed to keep administrator sessions running through network disruptions and to expand central oversight across distributed sites.

Remote access has become a major security concern for operators of industrial control systems and other operational technology environments. Attackers increasingly use external access paths to reach systems that run energy, utilities, manufacturing, and maritime operations. Regulators and industry standards bodies also expect stronger evidence of oversight, including who can connect to sensitive systems and under what conditions.

Xona framed the update around those pressures, citing increased scrutiny from frameworks such as NERC CIP, IEC 62443, and TSA SD2. It also pointed to field conditions where intermittent connectivity and limited bandwidth can disrupt remote work.

Session resilience

Platform v5.5 introduces "Session Hold" and "RDP Auto-Reconnect," which are intended to maintain session continuity through temporary network interruptions. Xona highlighted scenarios such as offshore platforms with high-latency links, rural substations with constrained connectivity, and industrial facilities that are partially isolated from wider networks.

Traditional remote access tools in enterprise IT often assume stable connectivity. In operational technology environments, transient outages can lead to session drops, loss of state, and repeated reauthentication. Xona is positioning the v5.5 additions as a way to reduce disruption during maintenance or incident-response work.

The release also adds configurable time-synchronization services and updated command-line tooling for constrained or disconnected environments. The update includes what Xona described as "hardened FIPS-compliant cryptographic behavior," tied to regulatory and deployment requirements.

Central governance

Xona has also expanded Xona Centralizer, its central management component, positioning it as a "single-pane-of-glass" view for secure access governance across multiple deployments.

Centralizer now supports centralized management of connection and folder structures, session recordings and playback exports, and real-time logs and bandwidth metrics. It also includes security policy settings enforced across connected Xona Gateways, according to Xona.

The update adds integration synchronization with third-party operational technology security platforms. Xona named Forescout and Nozomi Networks, and referenced other OT security platforms without specifying which products are supported in the current release.

Operational workflows

Platform v5.5 adds support for multiple concurrent sessions across RDP, SSH, and web access, allowing users to switch between sessions. It also includes a session-transfer workflow intended to enable handoffs between users.

Xona said the features are aimed at shift-based operations and escalation scenarios, where access often moves between operators, engineers, contractors, and original equipment manufacturers. The company also said it has enhanced audit controls designed to support compliance reporting.

Raed Albuliwi, Xona's Chief Product Officer, said the changes are designed to help operators maintain control in environments where connectivity can be unreliable.

"In critical infrastructure, remote access is no longer just about getting connected, it's about maintaining control under pressure," Albuliwi said. "Access models that only work when networks are stable or environments are simple don't hold up in critical infrastructure. Operators need governance that holds up in the field, not just on paper. That's exactly what our next-generation access platform delivers."

Partners and reach

Barrier Networks, a managed security service partner for Xona, backed the direction of the release in a statement.

"Xona's centralized control, policy enforcement, and audit trail capabilities make it an ideal complement to our OT cybersecurity offering," said Iain Slater of Barrier Networks. "Our clients need secure access that aligns with zero trust and is built for operational realities. Xona delivers that."

Xona said Platform is deployed in more than 40 countries across sectors including energy, utilities, manufacturing, and maritime. It also named Forescout and Radiflow as partners working with Xona to replace older remote access approaches based on VPNs and jump servers. As of now, Platform v5.5 is available.