Data Tunnelling: Secure Industrial Data Movement for OT and IT

Industrial sites increasingly need live production data outside the control room. Engineers, managers and business systems may all need the same values, alarms or events, but moving that information between networks can create technical and security issues. Data Tunnelling provides a controlled way to move industrial data between systems without exposing wider operational networks.

In manufacturing, utilities and infrastructure environments, the challenge is rarely just moving data. The real challenge is moving it safely, reliably and in a format that different systems can use. This is where secure tunnelling can support industrial connectivity, especially when OPC, legacy devices, historians, dashboards and enterprise applications need to exchange information.

What Is Data Tunnelling?

Data Tunnelling is the process of creating a secure communication path between two systems so data can pass between them in a controlled way. In an industrial context, this often means connecting operational technology data sources to software applications, databases or cloud platforms while reducing unnecessary exposure between networks.

A tunnel can help bridge separate locations, segmented networks or different system levels. Instead of opening broad access, Data Tunnelling is used to move the required information through a defined connection. This can support real-time visibility while helping teams maintain stronger boundaries around OT systems.

For organisations building wider industrial data strategies, OPC software and middleware is often the foundation.

Data Tunnelling for OPC and Industrial Systems

OPC remains a common standard for industrial communication. Many sites still use OPC DA alongside newer OPC UA systems, creating a need to share data across old and modern architectures. The right tunnelling method can support these environments by helping move OPC data between applications, sites and networks more simply.

For example, Kepware can provide industrial connectivity across devices and protocols, while DataHub can support secure OPC UA and OPC DA tunnelling between systems. Where business logic, databases or applications need to exchange data, OPC router may also support structured integration workflows.

The right approach depends on the source systems, target applications, security requirements and how critical the data flow is to operations.

Why Data Tunnelling Matters for OT Security

Industrial networks are usually designed around availability and safety. A poorly planned connection between OT and IT can introduce risk, especially if it requires broad firewall changes, unmanaged remote access or unclear ownership.

Data Tunnelling helps by narrowing the connection to a defined data path. This does not remove the need for security controls, but it can reduce unnecessary exposure when compared with more open network access methods.

Security still needs to be planned properly. Access control, encryption, logging, monitoring and change management all matter. For wider support, see MAC Solutions’ OT cyber security services.

Common Uses of Secure Data Tunnelling

Secure Data Tunnelling is useful where teams need operational data without giving every system direct access to the production network. Common use cases include:

• Sending real-time machine data to dashboards
• Sharing OPC data with historians or reporting tools
• Connecting remote sites to central monitoring platforms
• Supporting OT to IT data exchange
• Moving data between segmented network zones
• Helping maintenance teams review performance safely

It is also useful where organisations are standardising how information moves between sites. In these cases, tunnelling can support better governance and more consistent data flows.

Choosing a Data Tunnelling Approach

The best data tunnelling solution should match the operational environment. Important questions include:

• Which systems need to send and receive data?
• Is the data real-time, historical or event-based?
• Are OPC DA, OPC UA, MQTT or database connections required?
• How will access be controlled and audited?
• What happens if the network connection drops?
• Does the solution need to work across multiple sites?

A good design should also consider resilience. If a link fails, the system should recover cleanly and avoid unnecessary manual intervention. Teams should also agree on who owns configuration, who approves changes, and how data quality will be monitored over time.

For remote equipment and distributed assets, machine communications solutions may also be relevant, particularly where site connectivity, gateways or diagnostics are part of the wider design.

How It Fits Into a Wider Data Strategy

Secure tunnelling should not be treated as a stand-alone technical fix. It works best when it is part of a wider plan for data ownership, system architecture and operational resilience. Before connecting systems, teams should confirm which values are needed, how often they should update, and which users or applications should consume them.

This planning helps avoid duplicated tags, unclear naming and uncontrolled integrations. It also supports future projects, such as reporting, predictive maintenance, energy monitoring and site-wide visibility. When the data path is designed clearly, engineers can maintain it more easily, and business teams can trust the information they receive. This makes design easier to support, audit and expand across future industrial data projects and site requirements.