Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — your data never leaves your site. Cortex SCADA is deployed entirely on your local network. It's designed to run air-gapped with zero cloud dependencies and no outbound API calls. Your process data, historian, and configuration all live on hardware you control. There's nothing to exfiltrate because there's no connection to exfiltrate through.

Cortex already includes complete audit trails — every configuration change, alarm acknowledgment, and user action is logged with timestamps and user IDs. Electronic signatures and full 21 CFR Part 11 compliance features are on our near-term roadmap. If you're in pharma or life sciences and need this before we ship it, let's talk — we'll prioritize it for your deployment.

Security is baked in, not bolted on. Cortex uses JWT authentication, HTTPS/TLS encryption, and role-based access control out of the box. Because the system runs entirely on your local network, there's no internet connection required — which eliminates the largest attack surface entirely. No cloud APIs, no open ports, no external dependencies.

Cortex runs inside Docker containers with automatic restart policies and a built-in watchdog. If any service crashes, it comes back in seconds — not minutes. And because everything runs locally, there's no cloud dependency that could take you offline. Your plant keeps running even if the entire internet goes down.

We'll be straight with you: Cortex SCADA was founded by a solo engineer with deep domain expertise in industrial automation — someone who's actually commissioned plants, not just written software about them. The team is growing, and every Enterprise customer gets direct access to the founder. We're small, but that means you'll never get lost in a support queue or talk to someone reading a script.

It depends on your tier:

• Pro ($349/mo): Business hours support (M–F, 8AM–6PM)
• Business ($749/mo): 4-hour response time, dedicated support engineer
• Enterprise ($1,499/mo): 24/7 support with direct founder access

Cortex connects via industry-standard protocols: OPC-UA, Modbus TCP/RTU, and BACnet/IP. This covers virtually every major PLC vendor — Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Honeywell, ABB, Emerson, and more. If your controller speaks one of these protocols (and almost all of them do), Cortex can talk to it.

Cortex runs natively on Linux via Docker — which is actually a feature, not a limitation. Linux is more stable, more secure, and doesn't force reboots for updates at 2 AM. That said, if your IT team requires Windows, Docker Desktop for Windows works perfectly. You get the best of both worlds.

The software itself? Minutes. Run docker compose up and you're live. Full site commissioning — including tag configuration, alarm setup, user accounts, and operator training — typically takes 1–2 days. Compare that to weeks or months for legacy SCADA deployments.

Yes. You don't even have to rip and replace. Cortex can run alongside your existing SCADA via an OPC-UA bridge, letting you migrate incrementally. We also provide tag import tools that pull your existing tag database so you're not rebuilding from scratch. Start with one area, prove the value, then expand.

Because $349/mo is a lot easier to approve than $50K upfront. Monthly pricing means lower barrier to entry, predictable OpEx instead of CapEx, and every update, security patch, and new feature is included automatically. No annual maintenance fees, no surprise upgrade costs. And you can cancel anytime — we have to keep earning your business.

The hardware bundle includes an industrial mini PC with GPU, pre-loaded with Cortex SCADA, fully configured and tested before it ships. We also include on-site installation support for Enterprise customers. Plug it into your network, connect to your PLCs, and you're running. No IT department required for setup.

Better than a trial — our Community Edition is free forever. It includes core SCADA functionality for up to 500 tags and 2 users. If you need AI features, more tags, or support, you can start a 30-day free trial of Pro with no credit card required. We'd rather you test it on real equipment than watch a sales demo.