In this episode, Dino Busalachi and Craig Duckworth tackle a critical disconnect plaguing industrial organizations: the disconnect in understanding and communication between IT and OT regarding industrial cybersecurity.

While some IT departments are investing in OT cybersecurity platforms, 85% of the data these tools collect is designed for OT teams to act upon. Unfortunately, plant floor personnel, system integrators, and OEMs working in these environments rarely get access to dashboards, asset inventories, or vulnerability reports.

Organizations must move beyond the "oil and water" mentality between IT and OT. This means involving plant personnel in cybersecurity decisions, sharing data with trusted partners who "build the cars" (not just buy them), and recognizing that effective OT security requires collaboration with the people who live and breathe on the plant floor every day.

Bottom Line: If you're not sharing cybersecurity data with your system integrators, OEMs, and plant operations teams, you're not practicing true IT-OT convergence. You're missing critical opportunities to improve your security posture where it matters most.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Why Local Collaboration is Critical for Cybersecurity Success
• 00:01:07 - Meet Dino and Craig: Experts in IT/OT Integration
• 00:01:49 - Unpacking the Challenges of IT/OT Convergence
• 00:02:28 - Why IT and OT Teams Often Struggle to Align
• 00:04:48 - Building Collaborative Frameworks for Stronger Cybersecurity
• 00:07:33 - The Role of CIOs and CISOs in Driving Change
• 00:08:44 - Navigating the Complexities of Diverse Plant Environments
• 00:10:23 - Partnering with Vendors to Enhance Security Outcomes
• 00:11:16 - Key Questions to Evaluate System Integrators Effectively
• 00:16:35 - Using Tabletop Exercises to Align IT and OT Teams
• 00:22:20 - Closing Thoughts: Bridging the Divide for Unified Cybersecurity

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!

In this episode, Craig Duckworth and Dino Busalachi discuss the critical but often overlooked or misunderstood role of system integrators (SIs) in industrial cybersecurity.

Key Issues Identified:

• Organizations typically work with multiple specialized integrators across different facilities and systems
• Some SIs lack cybersecurity expertise, focusing primarily on equipment functionality
• Equipment can remain connected to networks for decades, with ownership and oversight changing hands over time
• System integrators must exercise proper IT coordination to implement remote access solutions effectively

Recommendations:

• IT and OT teams should collaborate more closely with system integrators on cybersecurity planning
• Organizations need to evaluate their SIs' cybersecurity capabilities and partnerships
• Consider standardizing on integrators with demonstrated cybersecurity practices and vendor certifications
• Apply the same due diligence used for IT vendor selection to OT system integrators

Bottom Line: System integrators are essential partners in executing industrial cybersecurity strategies and protection. Organizations must actively engage them in security conversations and ensure they have the necessary skills and partnerships to implement secure solutions for their plant environments from the start.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Real-World Ransomware Hits the Plant Floor
• 00:00:52 - Meet the System Integrators Shaping Your OT Plant Floor Security
• 00:01:17 - What System Integrators Really Do (and Don’t)
• 00:04:13 - Remote Access: The Hidden Backdoor Nobody Sees
• 00:08:34 - Why Ongoing Monitoring Is Non-Negotiable
• 00:13:30 - How to Pick the Right System Integrator For Your Operations
• 00:26:17 - Building Strong Partnerships with Your Integrators

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!

Craig and Dino break down how cyberattacks that start in traditional IT systems can shut down entire manufacturing production lines, leading to massive financial losses.

Using real-world examples like UNFI's $500 million drop in market value in 60 hours, they explain how overlooked connections between IT and the OT plant floor are often the weakest links.

You’ll hear why simply installing firewalls isn’t enough, how organizational silos between IT and operations cause major blind spots, and what it really takes to secure industrial equipment.

Whether you're in leadership, technology, or operations, this episode will change how you think about cyber risk and business continuity in connected environments.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Introduction: Where Responsibility Ends and Authority Doesn’t Begin
• 00:01:08 - Meet Your Guides: Dino & Craig On the Frontlines
• 00:01:14 - When Cyber Hits the Plant Floor
• 00:01:28 - Real-World Wake-Up: The Unify IT Incident
• 00:02:36 - The Gaps No One’s Watching in OT Security
• 00:03:18 - How Org Structure Can Make or Break Cyber Defense
• 00:04:03 - Plugging in OT Visibility: IDS in Action
• 00:04:43 - Who’s Really Calling the Shots—Corporate or the Plant?
• 00:07:02 - IT-OT Convergence: What Leaders Must Understand
• 00:13:14 - Building Cyber Defense That Actually Works
• 00:15:25 - Recovery Starts Before the Breach
• 00:17:37 - Why IT Alone Can’t Fix OT Problems
• 00:24:55 - Just Getting Started? Here’s What to Do First
• 00:28:33 - Final Word: You Can’t Secure OT Alone

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!