AI Agents Navigate Unfamiliar OT Systems and Move Equipment in Minutes, Booz Allen Finds

Booz Allen's research reveals that advanced AI agents can autonomously navigate unfamiliar Operational Technology (OT) environments and achieve physical impact — such as manipulating robotic arms — in just over 16 minutes after a perimeter breach. The core problem is that OT systems were largely designed for availability and reliability, not adversarial AI-speed attacks, leaving them structurally unprepared for autonomous threat actors that operate faster than human defenders can respond. This convergence of cyber and physical risk means a successful attack could cause real-world harm — equipment damage, production shutdowns, or safety incidents — not just data loss. The threat is compounded by flat or poorly segmented OT networks that give attackers lateral movement opportunities once inside the perimeter.