Delve Live at Disruptor Day UK 2023

 

Welcome to this live edition of Delve Live – Delve is a podcast by Distology where we’re joined by guests to tackle technology topics that need some exploring, unpacking, and, in some cases, demystifying in this brave and boundaryless IT world that we live and work in.

Today, our panel is named “OT Rise of the machines” – which is in no way related to Terminator 3, so don’t worry there will be no Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions today. What we are going to be delving into during this discussion is Operational Technology cybersecurity, or OT for short. This podcast episode will explore the challenges OT environments face, the convergence of IT and OT, and the new opportunities this will present to the IT Channel.

To set the scene a little, Operational Technology is the backbone of critical infrastructure in various sectors from Oil & Gas, Energy and Transportation.

The priorities in OT differ to IT.

IT (information technology) primarily focuses on managing digital data and communication systems, whilst OT centres around controlling and optimising physical processes and machinery in industries – making the safety and availability of systems paramount.

A cyber-attack in an OT environment carries severe repercussions, impacting not only OT professionals but also posing significant threats to the environment and human life. This risk is particularly evident when considering critical facilities like nuclear energy facilities and water treatment plants on a broader scale.

For those who OT is relatively new to, we have a stellar panel lineup of experts in the OT field – helping you bridge the gap:

• Chris Bihary – CEO/Co-founder of Garland Technology, Buffalonian and is a 30-year veteran in the network TAP and OT space.
• Jake Alosco – Experienced Channel Leader, VP of Global partnerships and all-round great guy from Cyolo, who provide secure remote access to high-risk infrastructures.
• Ian McGowan – CEO/Co-founder of Solutions Provider Barrier Networks
• Harjit Hothi – With extensive experience in Cyber Security and Operational Technology. He has been in the industry for over 20 years, and he is here today representing OPSWAT, who is the latest vendor to join our OT portfolio.

 

Join us again as we delve into our next technology topic.

Discussion Points

[00:00 – 02:35] Operational Technology setting the scene

[02:40 – 06:00] To Chris – Can you explain what your tech does and how it benefits customer scenarios?

[06:05-08:10] To Harjit  – Industry 4.0: How do customers tackle this scenario?

[08:15-15:15] To Jake – Convergence of IT and OT systems: How important has this been to some of your customers?

[15:20 – 20:40] To Ian – Moving from IT to OT: What was this journey like and what advice would you give to people who are thinking about starting this journey?

[20:45 – 23:45] To all – Do you have any advice for people on how to start the OT conversation?

[23:50 – 25:25] To all – Are there any pitfalls that partners should avoid when they start their journey from IT to OT?

[25:30- 38:00] Audience Q&A

[38:05-38:49] Closing statements