Responsibility Without Authority: The CISO's Industrial Cybersecurity Dilemma

In this episode, Craig and Dino address one of the most pressing challenges in industrial cybersecurity: the gap between responsibility and authority for CISOs and their ability to protect manufacturing and critical infrastructure plant floors.

While executives are tasked with ensuring resilience and reporting to the board, they often hit resistance at the plant floor where production uptime and safety KPIs take priority.

The conversation explores IT/OT convergence, asset visibility blind spots, OEM restrictions, and the risks of relying on remote-only deployments.

With insights from decades of hands-on experience in industrial environments, Craig and Dino outline practical steps for building bridges between IT and OT, aligning financial risk with security strategy, and equipping CISOs with the authority they need to succeed.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Welcome to the Industrial Cybersecurity Insider Podcast
• 00:01:11 - The CISO's Core Conflict of Responsibility Without Authority
• 00:02:45 - Why Security Efforts Get "Kneecapped at the Front Door"
• 00:04:04 - Understanding the OT Environment and Its Unique Technology
• 00:05:36 - Building Bridges Between IT and OT as the Solution
• 00:07:44 - Overcoming OT's "Skittish" Resistance to IT
• 00:09:43 - The Scaling Problem of Too Few Engineers for Too Many Plants
• 00:10:57 - Why a Remote-First Approach Fails in Manufacturing
• 00:14:44 - The "Epiphany" of Uncovering Operational Benefits for OT Teams
• 00:17:24 - Navigating OEM Warranties and Equipment Restrictions
• 00:19:14 - The "Trust but Verify" Mandate for a CISO
• 00:20:56 - The Danger of Hidden Networks and the "Air Gap" Myth
• 00:23:16 - Speaking the Language of Business in Dollars and Cents
• 00:24:43 - Aligning Security with the Plant's Capital Master Plan
• 00:27:24 - How Company Ownership Affects Security Investment
• 00:28:16 - How to Give the CISO Real Authority

Links And Resources:

• Want to Sponsor an episode or be a Guest? Reach out here.
• Industrial Cybersecurity Insider on LinkedIn
• Cybersecurity & Digital Safety on LinkedIn
• BW Design Group Cybersecurity
• Dino Busalachi on LinkedIn
• Craig Duckworth on LinkedIn

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