Industrial Cybersecurity Insider

The air gap you're counting on probably isn't there. Dino Busalacchi sits down with cybersecurity veteran and Tulane University Cybersecurity Professor Joshua Copeland, to talk about the realities of protecting industrial environments, where uptime, safety, and production come first.
They dig into why legacy systems can't be secured like IT, how routine security tasks can disrupt physical operations, the leadership gap between IT and OT, and why cybersecurity needs to be treated as digital safety. A practical listen for CISOs, CIOs, engineering leaders, and plant operators.
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Why operational technology is critical to everyday life
(00:03:00) Legacy systems and the hidden opportunity in OT security
(00:07:00) Ransomware, AI, and attacks designed for physical outcomes
(00:10:00) How standard IT security tools can stop production
(00:13:00) What cybersecurity events get wrong about OT
(00:16:00) The leadership gap and the myth of isolated systems
(00:20:00) Why cybersecurity should be treated as digital safety
(00:23:00) Compliance, asset inventory, and aging industrial equipment
(00:27:00) Building the next generation of OT security professionals
(00:31:00) Why every part of modern life depends on OT

Links And Resources:
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Industrial Cybersecurity Insider on LinkedIn
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Josh Copeland on LinkedIn
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Craig Duckworth on LinkedIn

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Craig Duckworth sits down with Jowanza Joseph, CEO of Parakeet Risk, to unpack why third-party risk has become one of the most urgent challenges facing manufacturers and critical infrastructure operators.
Jowanza spent 15 years in engineering roles at Adobe, Pluralsight, and MasterCard before founding Parakeet Risk to serve an industrial sector he saw as the most underserved when it comes to technology.
Together they address why simply knowing who your vendors are is harder than it sounds, how insurers are moving past checkbox questionnaires and demanding real evidence of controls, and what happens when contracts require you to identify a new asset in your OT environment within five minutes.
They also get honest about the organizational problem few want to own: security leaders who carry responsibility for the plant floor without the authority to change anything on it. Jowanza closes with a practical, low-cost starting point for any organization and a look at where vendor attestation is headed over the next five years.
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Why industrial companies must become cybersecurity companies
(00:02:08) Cataloging and prioritizing your most dangerous vendors
(00:04:37) The hidden layers of subcontractors in your supply chain
(00:06:42) Cyber insurance moves past the checkbox era
(00:10:47) Contracts that demand new asset identification in five minutes
(00:12:58) AI is multiplying vulnerabilities faster than solutions
(00:16:31) Three hallmarks of a strong third party risk program
(00:21:14) Incident response, game days, and who falls on the sword
(00:23:42) Responsibility without authority across the IT and OT divide
(00:28:31) Where to start today and the future of vendor attestation

Links And Resources:
Want to Sponsor an episode or be a Guest? Reach out here.
Industrial Cybersecurity Insider on LinkedIn
Cybersecurity & Digital Safety on LinkedIn
BW Design Group Cybersecurity
Dino Busalachi on LinkedIn
Craig Duckworth on LinkedIn

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Two global dairy producers made headlines this week after breaches that started with third party vendors.
Dino and Craig break down how it happened and why it keeps happening. They walk through the reality of remote access on the plant floor, from cellular modems to TeamViewer installs nobody remembers approving, and explain why a single sensor in a plant might show you 25 percent of your assets at best.
The conversation gets to the root of the problem: people, not technology.
OT teams still lock IT out of critical systems, CISOs carry responsibility without authority, and incident response plans rarely account for the integrators working across multiple plants at any given moment.
If you lead security for a manufacturing organization, this episode arms you with the tough questions to bring back to leadership before your company is the one filing with the SEC.
Chapters:
(00:00:00) - The CISO gets hung out to dry, not the third-party vendor
(00:01:02) - Two global dairy producers breached through third-party vendors
(00:02:12) - The messy reality of remote access on the plant floor
(00:03:47) - Why IT has no visibility into what's connected in manufacturing
(00:05:29) - North-south versus east-west traffic monitoring
(00:06:41) - The culture problem of OT locking IT out
(00:08:14) - Responsibility versus authority for CISOs
(00:10:47) - The budget excuse and the real cost of downtime
(00:14:32) - Incident response plans that leave system integrators out
(00:18:56) - SEC filings, brand damage, and the tough questions to ask

Links And Resources:
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Industrial Cybersecurity Insider on LinkedIn
Cybersecurity & Digital Safety on LinkedIn
BW Design Group Cybersecurity
Dino Busalachi on LinkedIn
Craig Duckworth on LinkedIn

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For industrial leaders responsible for keeping plants productive, connected, and secure, cybersecurity cannot sit only with IT.
Robert Maxwell joins Dino to address the leadership and operational gaps that leave OT environments exposed, especially when aging control systems, diverse automation platforms, and decentralized plant operations are part of the picture.
They discuss what it takes to move beyond fragmented ownership and point solutions: giving an accountable leader the authority to coordinate security across IT, OT, engineering, operations, and outside partners.
The conversation covers practical priorities for building a durable cyber program, including organization-wide awareness, stronger visibility into industrial assets, and a security strategy that can keep pace with AI adoption.
The takeaway is clear: cybersecurity is an operational investment that protects uptime, production, and long-term business resilience.
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Cybersecurity is a management responsibility
(00:01:00) Robert Maxwell’s journey into cybersecurity
(00:04:35) Why organizations need a clear cybersecurity owner
(00:08:40) Building a long-term security strategy across the business
(00:12:00) What happens when companies ignore cybersecurity
(00:14:10) Why vendor-led security programs fall short
(00:17:05) The IT and OT divide in manufacturing
(00:20:00) AI, data protection, and the growing security challenge
(00:23:25) Visibility gaps across manufacturing plants
(00:26:20) Why leaders should view cybersecurity as an investment

Links And Resources:
Want to Sponsor an episode or be a Guest? Reach out here.
Industrial Cybersecurity Insider on LinkedIn
Cybersecurity & Digital Safety on LinkedIn
BW Design Group Cybersecurity
Robert Maxwell on LinkedIn
Dino Busalachi on LinkedIn
Craig Duckworth on LinkedIn

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This week we're bringing back one of our most requested episodes, because the problem it covers hasn't gone away.
Dino and Jim break down one of the most dangerous assumptions in industrial security: that OT environments are air-gapped and therefore safe.
Through real examples from actual plant floors, they show exactly how that assumption falls apart, from cellular modems inside machine centers to third-party technicians on guest Wi-Fi to VPN concentrators IT doesn't know exist, and explain why the gap between IT and OT teams is just as much an organizational problem as a technical one.
They also get into why point-in-time assessments aren't enough, where zero trust runs into its limits in industrial settings, and what continuous visibility on the plant floor actually looks like. If you're responsible for securing manufacturing or critical infrastructure, this one is as relevant today as when it was first recorded.
Chapters:
(00:00:00) - The Air Gap Myth: Introduction
(00:03:00) - How OT Devices End Up Connected Without IT Knowing
(00:07:00) - Why Plant Managers Bypass IT Security
(00:12:00) - The Compliance and Insurance Stakes
(00:15:00) - Why Zero Trust Struggles in OT Environments
(00:17:00) - Bringing in Outside Experts to Find the Truth
(00:20:00) - Supply Chain and Hidden Connectivity
(00:24:00) - What Visibility Tools Reveal on the Plant Floor
(00:26:00) - Wrap-Up: Trust But Verify, Then Monitor Continuously

Links And Resources:
Want to Sponsor an episode or be a Guest? Reach out here.
Industrial Cybersecurity Insider on LinkedIn
Cybersecurity & Digital Safety on LinkedIn
BW Design Group Cybersecurity
Dino Busalachi on LinkedIn
Craig Duckworth on LinkedIn

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Industrial Cybersecurity Insider? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube to leave us a review!