A Deception Readiness Index for ICS and OT Cybersecurity Programs

Deception technology can improve industrial control systems and operational technology cybersecurity by creating high-confidence signals when adversaries interact with assets, credentials, or services that legitimate users should not touch. However, organizations often lack a practical method for determining whether they are ready to deploy deception safely, govern it consistently, and use its alerts effectively. This paper develops a Deception Readiness Index (DRI) for ICS and OT cybersecurity programs. The study uses design science and qualitative document analysis of public cybersecurity standards, OT security guidance, workforce frameworks, and prior deception-technology research. The resulting artifact scores readiness across governance, architecture, monitoring, workforce, and operational safety domains. The index is then applied to three synthetic critical-infrastructure profiles to demonstrate how readiness gaps can be identified before deployment. The results show that deception readiness depends less on tool availability alone and more on the alignment of ownership, safe placement, alert routing, staff capability, and operational approval. The DRI provides a repeatable planning method for organizations seeking to move from initial interest in deception technology to a controlled, auditable deployment.