Pursuit of Happiness
On the 4th of July Americans are reminded of our Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the...
Time and Expectations
The US Government’s Impact On OT Cyber Risk (Begins with the bad, and ends with the good) The US Government Hindering, Not Helping, Reduce OT Cyber Risk In The 1 To 3 Year Timeframe I’ve been frustrated with the mountains of OT security guidance and...
The Rationale Behind Recent OT Cybersecurity Layoffs
Multiple OT cybersecurity vendors have laid off employees in May and June. The largest layoffs came from two of the largest companies, Dragos and Nozomi. Many smaller vendors have laid off smaller numbers. Why? The public answer is a lengthening sales cycle....
OT Security and the Family Budget
Many responsible for addressing OT cyber risk have difficulty getting budget for their efforts. There are a long list of reasons including: They have not experienced a loss due to an OT cyber incident. They are viewed as spreading FUD because they have not experienced...
OT Detection Market – Q2 2023 Update
It has been 18 months since my last OT Detection Market Update. The market shook itself out in 2020/2021 and changes have been smaller. No serious new competitors entering. The VC money coming into the space is greatly reduced, although this is likely due to economic...
OT Security Cover Songs
I’m a big fan of cover songs. Not the covers that become more popular than the original. Rather the odd cover that it takes you 5 seconds to realize it’s a cover of a song you know and like. They’re not always good, rarely better, but often...
Unwarranted Confidence On Mount Stupid
The OT and ICS security community has unwarranted confidence in our ability to manage OT cyber risk. I write this as someone who has been working on this problem for 23 years now and has finally descended Mount Stupid and is making my way out of...
Three Thoughts On The OT Security Workforce
1. Turning Down The Demand Curve A market has a supply curve and demand curve. Most OT security workforce shortage discussions focus on the lack of supply, the lack of the people in the field. This is to be expected for a new career category and with many companies...