The Importance of OT Security: The Evolving Threat Landscape – Ken Townsend – CSP #170
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1. The Importance of OT Security: The Evolving Threat Landscape – Ken Townsend – CSP #170
Manufacturing environments rely heavily on Operational Technology (OT) systems – such as industrial control systems, supervisory control, PLCs etc. to manage production processes. Compromises of these networks and systems can have devastating consequences, including:
• Production disruptions and downtime
• Safety hazards:
• Data breaches and intellectual property theft:
• Financial losses: Ransomware attacks can cripple operations and demand hefty payments. Manufacturing is a lucrative target for Ransomware.
• There is little tolerance for downtime.
• Difficulty in managing OT environments (different skillsets)
• Increasing connectivity between IT and OT due to digital transformation
Incidents such as the well documented Colonial Pipeline attack along with other manufacturing companies like Dole, and Brunswick continue to highlight the growing threat landscape for OT security in manufacturing.
This segment is sponsored by Arctic Wolf. Visit https://www.cisostoriespodcast.com/arcticwolf to learn more about them!
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Guest
Kenneth Townsend is a seasoned information security leader with over 20 years of experience in leading transformational IT and cybersecurity initiatives. He is currently the global CISO for Ingredion, a leading global ingredients solutions company. In this role, he is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive cybersecurity program to protect Ingredion’s global operations, assets, and manufacturing plants from cyber threats.
Prior to joining Ingredion, Kenneth was the CISO for a leading revenue cycle management services company. He has held roles at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he led various initiatives to develop and operationalize cybersecurity strategies for a variety of industries, including health care, manufacturing, financial services, retail, and energy.
Host
Todd Fitzgerald promotes CISO/CPO leadership via the SCMedia CISO STORIES weekly podcast, advisory board participation, and international speaking engagements. Todd serves as VP, Cybersecurity Strategy, CyberRisk Collaborative. Todd authored 5 books, including #1 New Release (2024) Privacy Leader Compass: A Comprehensive Roadmap for Building and Leading Practical Privacy Programs, and #1 Best-selling (2019-2023) and 2020 CANON Cybersecurity Hall of Fame book, CISO COMPASS: Navigating Cybersecurity Leadership Challenges with Insights from Pioneers. Named 2016–17 Chicago CISO of the Year, Todd’s senior leadership positions include Northern Trust, Grant Thornton International, Ltd, ManpowerGroup, Wellpoint/National Government Services, Zeneca/Syngenta, IMS Health and American Airlines.
