What is Operational Technology (OT)? | OT After Hours, An OT Security Podcast

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In our second episode, we ask the question: “what is operational technology (OT)?”, and attempt to provide an answer. Join host Ken Kully, Cyber Tech Lead at Verve Industrial, and his guests and colleagues Lance Lamont, Tyler Bergman, Doug Artze, and Drew Wintermyer as they discuss what characterizes an OT environment and OT equipment, the impact of IT/OT convergence on distinguishing one realm from the other, and how a device’s usage is often the deciding factor as to whether it is an IT device…or an OT device.

Key Takeaways:

OT is the collection of hardware and software that is principally concerned with process availability: monitoring the process, providing safety oversight, and the automation, supervision, and control of the core processes for any industry.
The same device can be both an IT device and an OT device, depending on usage.
OT systems are often – though not always – characterized by device isolation, and can also be spread over a large geographic area.
There are some industries – healthcare is an example – where the distinction between IT and OT becomes very blurred.
Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction and sound check

00:35 – Welcome to OT After Hours

00:43 – Host introductions and background

03:40 – What is OT?

04:32 – Parallel terms: IT and OT

05:56 – Other terms: DCS, SCADA, etc.

11:43 – Hardware differences between IT and OT

14:20 – The role of context in defining OT devices

17:34 – The evolution and convergence of OT and IT

19:52 – The CIA triad and its different priorities in IT and OT

22:36 – The timeliness element in OT systems

23:30 – Engineering workstations and their classification

32:36 – The criticality of availability in OT environments

34:30 – The sensitivity of OT control systems

37:41 – Examples of OT in non-industrial settings

44:27 – The importance of physical access in OT security

46:55 – The unique challenges of healthcare OT

50:59 – Concluding thoughts on defining OT

Guest Information:

Lance Lamont: Creator and Explorer at Verve Industrial Protection, leading the research team in exploring OT devices and their security.

Tyler Bergman: Experienced in utilities and OT security with over 20 years in the industry.

Doug Artze: Operations team lead with experience in nuclear power and wastewater treatment.

Drew Wintermyer: Research team member and overseer of Verve’s internal labs of OT devices.