From risk to resilience: Navigating OT security in a converged world

In this session, Rob King (runZero) is joined by Patrick Gillespie and Mary Gannon from GuidePoint Security to explore the complex world of Operational Technology (OT) security in an increasingly converged environment. The discussion focuses on the unique challenges of securing industrial systems — such as those found in manufacturing and mining — where legacy hardware like Windows 98 and even Windows 3.1 is still in active use. The speakers emphasize that while convergence offers business benefits like real-time data and remote work capabilities, it also introduces significant safety risks that must be managed through a shared responsibility model between IT and OT teams.

A key takeaway is the critical importance of asset discovery and inventory. Many OT organizations lack a clear understanding of what is on their networks, a problem often rooted in cultural divides where the teams responsible for security do not own the physical assets. The experts highlight that in OT, priorities are flipped: whereas IT focuses on data confidentiality, OT prioritizes safety and availability. This means traditional IT practices like immediate patching are often impossible, as shutting down a system could have life-or-death consequences for the people on the plant floor.