Derek Harp is happy to have Brian Foster, the GMS Security Lead at Southern California Edison, joining him on the show today! 

Brian Foster is a highly-skilled former Controls Engineer turned OT Cyber Security expert turned Security Leader. He has multiple degrees in engineering and years of experience in managing and leading within the OT Cyber Security field. 

Brian is a well-rounded individual! He is a known speaker and contributor in the cybersecurity industry. He is an engineer, controls systems cybersecurity expert, pilot, brewmaster, outdoorsman, hunter, mentor, dog lover, and husband. 

In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, he talks about his backstory, discusses his career journey, and shares many nuggets of advice from his years of experience in the industry. He also highlights the importance of clear communication.

You won’t want to miss this episode if you want to learn more about cybersecurity or you’re looking for ways to get a foot in the door of the industry! Stay tuned for more!

Show highlights:

• Brian’s journey was not a clean one. It was more a series of good mistakes. (2:14)
• Brian has had computers and technology around him for as long as he can remember, and he loved playing games when he was growing up! (4:49)
• He did not intend to go into controls engineering. (8:45)
• Having an understanding of networking is fundamental for a successful career. (10:42)
• Brian learned a lot about technology from the mistakes he made. (11:53)
• Cybersecurity was always in the background, but it became a part of Brian’s life when he got bored with controls. (13:17)
• One of his first professional forays into cybersecurity happened when he was an expert witness in a court case. (15:04)
• There is often friction and distrust between OT people and those in IT cybersecurity. Brian shares his thoughts. (18:43)
• Many people struggle to use spoken language to communicate their ideas to one another articulately. That leads to many challenges. (28:37)
• Southern California Edison has much more of an eye on security than many other utilities Brian has worked with, either directly or indirectly. (32:23)
• Brian views cybersecurity systems as no different from safety systems. (37:02)
• The industry needs more people who know what they are doing. Brian struggles to find them, so he mentors people trying to get a foot in the door and learn about cybersecurity. (39:21)
• Brian offers tactical advice for people entering the cybersecurity space. (43:34)
• Brian sees a lot of promise for the future with containerization technology in the OT space. (48:20)

Links:

(CS)²AI

Brian Foster on LinkedIn

Southern California Edison (SCE)