Governance & Risk Management , Operational Technology (OT) , Video
Why COVID-19 Made Leaders Realize Just How Connected OT Networks Really Are Michael Novinson (MichaelNovinson) • February 2, 2023 Robert M. Lee, founder and CEO, Dragos (Image: Dragos)
Executives historically underestimated the security risk associated with operational technology based on the erroneous belief that OT networks are highly segmented or air gapped.
See Also: Evaluating and Reducing Supply Chain Risk
But COVID-19 made executives realize their OT networks are more connected than they previously thought, since operators and engineers could remote into plants and manufacturing lines from home. Dragos CEO Robert M. Lee says more human-operated ransomware hit the industrial side of organizations in 2020 and 2021 than ever before. This happened because OT systems are less protected, and victims tended to pay large ransoms faster to get production moving again (see: Uniform Infrastructure Raises Risk for Industrial Attacks).
“Most executives understand that they’ve not been investing heavily in the operational technology side of their business, even though that’s where they generate all their revenue,” Lee says. “It’s definitely a focus for them as these environments have become hyper-connected and we’ve seen more threats. They’re putting more focus there, so we’re seeing people accelerate and move quicker.”
In this video interview with Information Security Media Group, Lee also discusses:
How Dragos spent the $200 million in funding it received in 2021; The unique challenges SMBs face in securing OT
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