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How Converging OT And IT Protects The Systems That Run Our World
Manage episode 524628226 series 3706239
Operational technology runs the systems we depend on every day. Power grids, hospitals, manufacturing lines, transportation networks, and smart buildings all rely on environments where uptime directly affects safety and revenue.
In this episode, we sit down with Pat Hurley and Ryan Davis from Acronis, along with Chris Daggett from HUB Tech, to explain how OT differs from IT and why convergence between the two is accelerating. The conversation focuses on what it takes to protect physical systems while maintaining performance and reliability.
We discuss the realities of securing legacy-heavy environments, where downtime is not an option, and many systems were not built with security in mind. Our guests break down how regulations such as NERC CIP, FDA requirements, and Europe’s Cyber Resilience Act are shaping OT security programs. They also explain the importance of asset visibility, network segmentation, and disaster recovery plans that teams can execute under pressure.
The discussion then moves into practical defense. We cover digital twins for safer testing, broad operating system support for faster recovery, and how teams manage aging machines tied to critical production. We also explore AI use cases such as predictive maintenance and anomaly detection, as well as the risks introduced by Industry 4.0 and increased connectivity.
This episode is for leaders responsible for uptime, safety, and cyber resilience across factories, hospitals, utilities, transportation, and smart infrastructure. It offers clear guidance for building OT and IT programs that work together to protect the systems that run our world.
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For more information about all-in-one cyber protection, please visit Acronis at www.acronis.com
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The Beyond the Firewall podcast features discussions with technology leaders and practitioners who provide valuable insights into today’s IT and business challenges.
Follow the podcast to stay updated on new episodes, and watch full episodes and video highlights on YouTube.
To learn more about HUB Tech and the services that support IT modernization, visit the HUB Tech website at https://hubtech.com/.
Chapters
1. How Converging OT And IT Protects The Systems That Run Our World (00:00:00)
2. Defining OT Versus IT (00:02:57)
3. Enterprise Views And Regulations (00:04:20)
4. Real-World Outages And Lessons (00:07:36)
5. Common OT Security Gaps (00:09:58)
6. Why OT Is Harder To Patch (00:12:20)
7. Testing Safely And Digital Twins (00:14:36)
8. Industries Most Reliant On OT (00:17:10)
9. Threat Actors Targeting OT (00:19:00)
10. Market Need And Service Offerings (00:21:04)
11. Acronis’s OT Protection Approach (00:23:00)
12. AI’s Role: Predictive And Automated (00:27:20)
13. Industry 4.0 And Attack Surface (00:31:05)
14. Org Models: IT And OT Teams (00:33:00)
15. The Road Ahead For OT (00:35:10)
16. Skills, Jobs, And Education (00:37:20)
2 episodes
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