Why OT Must Lead the Manufacturing Cybersecurity Conversation

Katie O'Brien shares her unconventional journey from music teacher to industrial cybersecurity expert, bringing over 25 years of IT experience into the OT world.

In this conversation with Dino, Katie discusses the critical gaps in OT cybersecurity—from the lack of university programs teaching industrial security to the disconnect between IT and OT teams.

They explore why system integrators and OEMs fail to design cybersecurity into new manufacturing projects from the start, compare it to building cars without safety features, and discuss the emergence of managed services in the OT space.

Katie explains how Garland Technology helps organizations get visibility into aging infrastructure with unmanaged switches, and both hosts emphasize the urgent need for the OT ecosystem to drive cybersecurity conversations proactively rather than waiting for IT teams who may never have walked the plant floor.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - The Hard Truths About OT Security Nobody Wants to Hear
• (00:01:06) - Katie's Unconventional Journey: From Music Teacher to OT Cybersecurity Expert
• (00:04:00) - The Current State of OT Cybersecurity and Future Directions
• (00:06:00) - The Education Gap: Why Universities Aren't Teaching Industrial Cybersecurity
• (00:08:00) - The Disconnect Between IT/Security Teams and OT Operations
• (00:10:00) - Designing Cybersecurity Into New Manufacturing Projects From the Start
• (00:13:00) - IT Teams Who've Never Walked the Plant Floor
• (00:16:00) - The Emergence of Managed Services in the OT Space
• (00:18:00) - Garland Technology: Getting Visibility Into Aging Infrastructure
• (00:19:00) - Software Defined Automation and the Future of Industrial Control
• (00:22:00) - Why the OT Ecosystem Must Drive the Cybersecurity Conversation
• (00:24:00) - The Real Cost of Downtime and Cyber Incidents in Manufacturing

Links And Resources:

• Katie O'Brien on LinkedIn
• 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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