What is Air-Gapped Network Compliance?
Air-gapped network compliance refers to the set of cybersecurity and regulatory requirements that govern how organizations secure, monitor, and manage access to isolated systems that are physically or logically disconnected from external networks, including the internet. These requirements are designed to ensure that air-gapped environments, commonly used in critical infrastructure, military, and industrial control systems, remain secure from cyber threats while still meeting operational and audit obligations.
Why is Air-Gapped Network Compliance Important?
Air-gapped networks are often used to protect highly sensitive or safety-critical systems that cannot tolerate external exposure. However, isolation alone is not sufficient for regulatory compliance. Standards such as IEC 62443, NERC CIP, and TSA SD02E require that even air-gapped environments implement strict controls over user access, remote connectivity, change management, and audit logging.
Compliant organizations must demonstrate that any access to the air-gapped environment, such as for diagnostics, maintenance, or updates, is secure, temporary, and fully monitored. This includes enforcing multi-factor authentication, role-based access, session recording, and approval workflows, even when the system itself is not connected to a live network.
Failure to meet air-gapped compliance obligations can result in regulatory penalties, operational disruptions, and increased risk of insider or supply chain attacks, particularly as adversaries find new ways to breach isolated systems.
How Does Xona Help with Air-Gapped Network Compliance?
Xona enables secure, compliant access to air-gapped networks by providing a disconnected access architecture using protocol isolation that allows authorized users to reach critical systems via browser-based sessions, without creating direct network paths. This aligns with compliance requirements that mandate network segmentation, controlled access, and auditable session activity.
Xona’s platform supports just-in-time access, multi-factor authentication, credential injection, and full session recording, helping organizations enforce compliance without violating the physical or logical separation of air-gapped systems. Access policies can be centrally defined and applied even when the target system resides in a highly controlled or offline environment.
This approach allows critical infrastructure operators to meet air-gapped network compliance standards while maintaining operational continuity and reducing risk.
Frequently Asked Questions