A DMZ, or demilitarized zone, is a separated network segment placed between a trusted internal network and less trusted networks. In industrial environments, it is often used to control traffic between enterprise IT and operational technology (OT), so services can exchange data without exposing control systems directly.
DMZs matter because they enforce a trust boundary. Instead of letting applications, users, or AI services connect straight into OT, defenders route access through controlled hosts, proxies, and filtering rules. This makes it easier to limit protocols, inspect traffic, record logs, and isolate failures. In attacks, a weak DMZ can become the bridge an intruder uses to move from business systems into plant networks. In defense, a well-designed DMZ helps contain compromise, reduce lateral movement, and support safer data sharing across zones.