Bridging the IT/OT Cybersecurity Divide

The cybersecurity landscape is changing rapidly. With the rise of the industrial internet of things (IIoT) and the emergence of the cloud, the number of endpoints has increased dramatically, and risk is higher than ever. While manufacturers are still navigating their way around this new threat ecosystem, one fact has become clear: Cybersecurity is no longer solely the purview of the information technology (IT) department. To protect against cyberattacks, companies now need to bridge the gap between IT and operational technology (OT) and enlist the OT side in threat management.

 

Learning Objectives:

• Examine common OT vulnerabilities and how hackers are exploiting them
• Determine who should own cybersecurity on the plant floor
• Cover what OT professionals can learn from IT (and vice versa)
• Learn how to enable communication between the two sides so they can speak a common language
• List best practices to enable better security in manufacturing environments
• Learn how to set up a “human firewall,” where all employees are versed in basic cybersecurity hygiene