Events , Governance & Risk Management , Operational Technology (OT)

Why Modernizing Defenses for OT Networks, Operations Is Tough

Optiv's Kevin Lynch on the Biggest OT Threats Stemming From the Russia-Ukraine War
Kevin Lynch, CEO, Optiv

Critical infrastructure attacks throughout 2022 focused primarily on Eastern Europe and Ukraine given fears of reprisal from attacking the U.S., said Optiv CEO Kevin Lynch.

See Also: SOC: Build vs. Buy - When Is It Right?

The amount of OT security investment needed to defend against modern-day adversaries is bigger than what many organizations can handle today, which Lynch said has prompted interest in Optiv's advisory services. Organizations today typically have very few security controls in their OT environment, which is becoming less segmented or separated from traditional IT systems due to digital transformation efforts (see: Optiv CEO Kevin Lynch on Getting Value Via Unstructured Data).

"People are spending money on modernizing their environments to be more efficient at what they do," Lynch said. "OT will continue to be digitized; therefore, the attack surface will continue to grow. As it grows, they will face more attacks."

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group at RSA Conference 2023, Lynch also discusses:

  • How the security around OT networks and operations compares to IT;
  • What risks firms in the energy sector need the most cyber assistance with;
  • The most pressing cyber tech and services needs at federal agencies.

Lynch is responsible for delivering innovative cybersecurity solutions for clients. In his 35-year career, he worked at Deloitte in leadership roles for 20 years. Lynch is also a board director for Optiv and Ten Eleven Ventures and serves on the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board Technology and Innovation think tank.


About the Author

Michael Novinson

Michael Novinson

Managing Editor, Business, ISMG

Novinson is responsible for covering the vendor and technology landscape. Prior to joining ISMG, he spent four and a half years covering all the major cybersecurity vendors at CRN, with a focus on their programs and offerings for IT service providers. He was recognized for his breaking news coverage of the August 2019 coordinated ransomware attack against local governments in Texas as well as for his continued reporting around the SolarWinds hack in late 2020 and early 2021.




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