Information Technology and Operational Technology are the two groups responsible for managing industrial cybersecurity, but often they work separately with little communication or common understanding of how each groups’ objectives play a role in the overall cybersecurity of the IACS. Developing clear communication and common understanding between IT and OT groups is essential for securing the IACS from the business network to the BPCS and SIS zones.
Co-presented by exida Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Robert Michalsky.
Patrick O’Brien is the Assistant Director of Engineering at exida, LLC, where he helps lead a team of engineers in delivering functional safety, cybersecurity, and alarm management services. He has led cybersecurity risk assessments, training courses, and other lifecycle activities for many different applications, including oil and gas, specialty chemical, critical infrastructure, machinery, and robotics. In addition to his cybersecurity role, he also provides consulting services in the areas of process safety, functional safety, and machine safety.
He is a coauthor of Implementing IEC 62443: A Pragmatic Approach to Cybersecurity and the principal author of the CCPS concept book Managing Cybersecurity in the Process Industries – A Risk-based Approach. Patrick represents exida on the International Society of Automation Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA). Mr. O’Brien graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in German Language and Culture.