Ask an OT Engineer: How Asset Owners Can Drive 'Secure by Design' with OEMs for OT Security

Asset owners hold the key to accelerating "Secure by Design" adoption by demanding security requirements directly in OEM contracts.

In this Ask an OT Engineer segment, Gary Kneeland discusses the evolving and often contentious topic of "Secure by Design" in operational technology (OT). He highlights the slow pace of OEMs in adopting advanced security controls and emphasizes the critical role asset owners play in accelerating this change by integrating security requirements into their procurement processes and contracts.

Key topics include:

• The evolution and challenges of "Secure by Design" in OT environments

• Why OEMs have been slow to implement advanced security controls like authentication and encryption

• The power of asset owners to influence OEMs by demanding security requirements in bids and contracts

• Identifying and implementing "low-hanging fruit" security controls that enhance OT security without impacting operations

• The long-term importance of proactive security measures in industrial systems