As we begin to close out 2024 and look ahead to 2025, I couldn’t resist the urge to revisit some of my favorite guests from the last couple of months.

While I’m grateful for everyone we’ve had on the show, and all the support we continue to receive from the industrial cybersecurity community, I felt these comments were worth another listen, with special focus being given to a handful of the most critical issues confronting our OT environments.

First, we hear from Jon Taylor (1:16) at Versa, as he discusses a unique approach to patching and secure-by-design strategies that involve the development embedded micro-segmentation approaches.

Next, we’ll hear from Cloud Range’s Tom Marsland (11:18) as he discusses the continued challenges presented by data silos, and innovative ways to address the shortage of cybersecurity specialists.

Then we’ll turn to Baker Tilly’s Jeff Krull (19:42) as he reports on ransomware gangs and their combination of new and old tactics.

And we’ll finish up with cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler (29:40) as he discusses some of the ongoing challenges about addressing persistent vulnerabilities.

As a go-to podcast for our listeners, we want to help you align your brand with our expertise. By sponsoring our podcast, your brand will build trust, and your message will stand out to an audience searching for tools to assist their cybersecurity efforts.
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Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.

According to Fortinet’s 2024 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report, 43 percent of those surveyed reported a loss of business critical data or intellectual property so far in 2024– a number this is up nearly 10 percent from last year.

And we all know what happens with this hijacked data.

Per the World Economic Forum’s May 2024 white paper, the number of ransomware attacks on industrial infrastructure doubled in 2023, boosting ransomware to the leading concern for manufacturers, with 40 percent citing it as their top issue. While that may not surprise you, this might - due to the many challenges we’ve discussed here on Security Breach, the industrial sector now accounts for 71 percent of all ransomware attacks.

Our data is valuable and the hackers know it.

To offer some perspective on protecting this data, we sat down with Karthik Krishnan, CEO of Concentric.ai – a leading provider of data security posture management solutions. Watch/listen as he provides insight on:

• Prioritizing and limiting data access to lessen the blast radius.
• How data, especially customer data, is essentially the "new oil."
• Reversing your mindset to think about "data out" instead of "user in".
• The generative AI advancements that continue to be made, and how they're producing more complex phishing and ransomware attacks.
• Why it has become easier for hackers to get a foothold on your network.
• The best ways to shore up your weakest security link - employees.
• How it all starts with data discovery and visualization, then prioritization.
• A look at the money involved with remediation and response costs versus proper planning and defense prep.

As a go-to podcast for our listeners, we want to help you align your brand with our expertise. By sponsoring our podcast, your brand will build trust, and your message will stand out to an audience searching for tools to assist their cybersecurity efforts.
Click Here to Become a Sponsor.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.

Next to artificial intelligence, one of the biggest buzz terms in industrial cybersecurity right now might be SBOM, or software bill of materials. The term generates equal parts concern and eye roll as those entrusted with enterprise defense look to ensure that there are no embedded vulnerabilities amongst the data platforms they are both sourcing and utilizing within their offerings.

Perhaps most frustrating is having to essentially reverse engineer a number of established products in order to quell security concerns. However, as frustrating as these efforts might be, the growing number of zero day hacks emanating from embedded security vulnerabilities will only continue to grow as we look to embed greater levels of sensor, software and AI-driven functionality.

In this episode we hear from Marcellus Buchheit, President and CEO of Wibu-Systems USA, a leading provider of security solutions for embedded data and intellectual property. Watch/listen as we discuss:

• How vulnerabilities and risks need to be assessed beyond their expense to focus on updates, reconfigurations and the growing number of OT connection points.
• The need for SOPs that make it easier to assimilate cybersecurity into OT processes.
• Ways to more safely update the growing number of devices on the plant floor.
• Protecting IP and, more specifically, the software coding associated with it.
• The impact AI continues to have on increasing the sophistication of hacking attempts.
• Why all hacks are "highly preventable."
• The role of quantum computing and the steps to take in preparing for "Q Day".

As a go-to podcast for our listeners, we want to help you align your brand with our expertise. By sponsoring our podcast, your brand will build trust, and your message will stand out to an audience searching for tools to assist their cybersecurity efforts.
Click Here to Become a Sponsor.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.

If you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.

To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.