By Gail Kosloff, Director of Partner Marketing

CISOs, IT analysts, and operational technology (OT) security professionals gathered at ManuSec USA last week in Chicago. The conference offered insights on the latest cyber security issues affecting U.S. and multinational industrial manufacturing companies. OTORIO’s team was proud to discuss OT security and risk management with more than one hundred professionals responsible for safeguarding their company’s OT and IT security. Here are some highlights we took away from the event.

Operationalizing data remained top of mind for ManuSec attendees. With so many different assets that supply and receive data in manufacturing operations—e.g., production machines, supplier databases, power, and energy resources—industrial manufacturers are keen on analyzing and making appropriate decisions regarding production with their diverse and valuable data.

Understanding “zero trust” frameworks was another security concept on the mind of attendees when they thought about OT security. By thinking 3-5 years ahead about their technology needs, manufacturers are evaluating their current security posture and weighing how they can make effective decisions to maintain resilient operations.

The 2021 Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, its fallout, and supply chain implications remained on the mind of ManuSec attendees. The hackers who carried out the cyber attack gained access to the oil and gas company’s OT system and shut down operations. The fallout from this industrial cybersecurity breach impacted supply chain security for businesses and consumers, helping industrial manufacturers realize that they need to have appropriate security measures in place to enable digital operational resiliency.

Attendees were particularly interested in OTORIO’s RAM² solution which assesses, monitors, and manages OT security vulnerabilities, enabling IT/SOC teams and operations teams to prevent them from being exploited. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

We look forward to meeting you at future OT security events like S4X23 in Miami South Beach on February 13-16, 2023.