A safety function is a control mechanism that detects unsafe conditions and forces a system into a safer state. In industrial environments, this may mean stopping a machine, opening a breaker, closing a valve, or triggering an interlock before a hazard can spread. Safety functions are designed to reduce risk, not just improve reliability, so they often operate independently from normal production control.
In cyber security, safety functions matter because attackers can target the logic, sensors, or communications that inform them. If false data, delayed telemetry, or interrupted control messages hide a real fault, a plant may fail to shut down when it should. Defenders therefore protect safety-related assets with tighter segmentation, careful change control, and context-aware response. In OT incidents, a security action such as blocking traffic or isolating a device must be evaluated against its impact on the safety function itself.