Careers in operational technology: What does a security risk assessor do? | Guest Donovan Tindill

Cyber Work

Today on Cyber Work, we continue our deep dive into industrial control systems and operational technology security by talking with Donovan Tindill of DeNexus. Now, I’m just going to come out and say it: Tindill's episode is like a cybersecurity career seminar in a box, and a must-not-miss if you’re interested in not just ICS and OT security, but specifically the realm of Risk Assessment. Tindill brought slides and literally lays out his entire career for us to see, including the highs and even some of the lows, and what he learned from them. He explains the fuzzy distinctions between ICS security and the act of determining risk for said systems, gives us a 60 year history of the increasing attack surface and number or risk types associated with operational technology, and gives us tons of great career advice and ways to get started.
0:00 - Careers in operational technology
2:01 - Donovan Tindill's interest in tech
5:30 - Tindill's career roles in cybersecurity
10:42 - The jump to a supervision role
13:19 - Average day for a director of OT cybersecurity
18:39 - Volunteerism with Public Safety Canada
22:57 - Tindill's talk on active directory a decade later
23:43 - Current operational technology challenges
29:26 - New SEC regulations
33:54 - Thoughts on the SEC regulations
35:37 - How to work in OT, ICS or risk assessment
40:34 - Skill gaps for OT, ICS and risk management
42:44 - Tindill's favorite work
45:36 - Best cybersecurity career advice
48:22 - What is DeNexus?
52:22 - Learn more about Tindill and DeNexus
53:22 - Outro
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Capitole

1. ICS and OT Security (00:00:00)

2. Learning Leadership in Cybersecurity Industry (00:11:48)

3. Cybersecurity Industry Involvement and Volunteerism (00:17:34)

4. Challenges in OT Cybersecurity Integration (00:22:57)

5. SEC Regulations and Cyber Risk Management (00:30:09)

6. Cybersecurity in Industrial Control Systems (00:37:12)

7. Innovating Cyber Risk Quantification Solutions (00:43:34)