emPOWERUP Podcast

A coordinated nation-state campaign has hit more than 100 water utilities since it was first spotted near Minneapolis two months ago, prompting warnings from CISA and the FBI and targeting one thing in particular: publicly addressable PLCs and industrial automation systems. In this episode, GrayMatter's Cyber Practice Director Scott Christensen sits down with water and SCADA veteran Aaron Cromer, along with Zach Vera and Dan Topley from AMDT, makers of Octoplant, to unpack what's actually happening in the field.

They dig into why "we're too small to be a target" no longer holds up (it was the suburban utilities near major cities that got hit first), why claiming you're air-gapped rarely means you actually are, and why utilities should focus more on recovery. Aaron, Zach and Dan walk through what real asset awareness looks like, how change management separates a good recovery from a scramble.

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In this episode of the emPOWERUP Podcast from GrayMatter, host Jeremy Boren speaks with Mickey Shaposhnik, co-CEO of smart manufacturing platform Next Plus, about the “Human Internet of Things” and how manufacturers can find real ROI from workflow optimization systems. Next Plus, a GrayMatter partner, helps manufacturers reduce training and engineering time, decrease friction across operations and make technology more intuitive for operators and engineers alike. GrayMatter, a leading industrial technology solutions provider, spotlights this partnership as an example of how human-centered innovation drives real results in modern manufacturing plants.

Visit https://graymattersystems.com/current-events/ to stay up to date on upcoming and on-demand GrayMatter training classes and workshops.

GrayMatter Cyber Practice Director Scott Christensen aka "Scott," joins Brand Manager Jeremy Boren on the emPOWERUP Podcast for a chat about how industrial companies can quickly expand their OT cybersecurity capabilities by partnering with a managed services provider.

Having trouble filling a cybersecurity role? So are hundreds of other companies in the U.S. It's a good time to look for a partner with the cyber expertise you need.

Cybersecurity engineers with experience in operational technology are hard to find. Even rarer is finding one with experience building, or rebuilding, a secure OT network. It's probably best not to go it alone.

Other topics we get into: New SEC rules & government regulations, protecting your systems from so-called hacktivists and understanding the difference between what we know as cybersecurity versus securing network infrastructure.

Visit GrayMatter to start a project at: https://graymattersystems.com/cyber-security-for-operational-technology/

Ampcus Inc. VP of Technology Programs Barbara Wilson joins the emPOWERUP Podcast to discuss how water and wastewater utilities — and other public agencies — can adopt more agile budget practices through sole source providers and cooperatives.

Utilities need to move quickly to modernize technology and strengthen cybersecurity, but budgeting procedures move at their own pace.

Barbara shares lessons from her experience from working in senior IT and OT roles at Fort Worth Water in Texas and Metro Water Recovery in Denver, Colorado.

Visit graymattersystems.com for more about GrayMatter's cybersecurity offerings for water/wastewater.

GrayMatter's emPOWERUP Podcast hosts BlastWave CEO Tom Sego to discuss how a new partnership between GrayMatter and BlastWave enables industrial organizations to better protect their physical plant systems from cybersecurity threats.

Sego said research shows malicious actors are, unfortunately, shifting their focus to manufacturing.

"In 2022 manufacturing surpassed financial services to be the most-attacked industry," Sego said. "The average ransom payment in manufacturing is now exceeding an average of $2 million, versus the industry average, which is around $900,000."

The GrayMatter-BlastWave partnership emerged from the realization that major manufacturers need to identify third-party cybersecurity vendors that demonstrate a deep background working with industrial technology systems and specialize in protecting operational technology. 

OT cybersecurity tech and strategies discussed during the podcast episode include:

• Phishing-resistant MFA (multi-factor authentication)

• Micro-segmentation

• Software-defined perimeter

• Cybersecurity assessment

Visit GrayMatter's Industrial Cybersecurity Offering to learn more: https://graymattersystems.com/cyber-security-for-operational-technology/

Del-Co Water Company's service area contains three of Ohio's five fastest-growing counties.

That includes its namesake Delaware County, which led all of Ohio's 88 counties with a population increase of 27 percent between 2010 and 2022 to about 222,000 people.

A rapidly growing customer base requires Del-Co, a GrayMatter customer, to invest in new technology and train agile teams to meet rising potable water service demands while maintaining its record of providing clean drinking water to customers.

Among its most recent priorities is a cybersecurity strategy it built with GrayMatter to protect its operational technology environment by implementing network segmentation replacing an existing firewall provider.

Learn more at https://graymattersystems.com/cyber-security-for-operational-technology/

GrayMatter emPOWERUP Podcast Host Jeremy Boren talks with Larry Saidman, Nordson Corp.'s Chief Technologist, R&D, about Nordson's work with GrayMatter to deploy an Advanced Industry Analytics solution designed to enhance customer service. 

The analytics solution gives Nordson customers that use adhesive-dispensing machines more data about how the machines are performing and whether preventative maintenance is needed. Having ready access to granular data is benefit to both Nordson and their customers.

Visit graymattersystems.com/advanced-industrial-data-analytics/

Cybersecurity is a team sport.

GrayMatter customer Zekelman Industries builds a culture of security by earning buy-in from company leaders and plant-floor operators. It's important for everyone to understand not only why cybersecurity precautions are in place, but how they enable employees to perform their jobs better and protect the steel manufacturer's physical, revenue-generating assets.

GrayMatter emPOWERUP Podcast host Jeremy Boren talks with Jerry Baum, Zekelman's Director of IT, Infrastructure, about how the company is working with GrayMatter to create a strong, long-term OT cybersecurity strategy.

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Nordson Corp., a manufacturer of industrial adhesive dispensing equipment, is co-innovating with GrayMatter on an Advanced Industrial Analytics solution to help Nordson customers reduce machine downtime and optimize productivity.

GrayMatter emPOWERUP Podcast host Jeremy Boren talks with Larry Saidman, chief technologist for R&D at Nordson, about how his team is using advanced analytics to improve customer service.

To learn more, visit graymattersystems.com/advanced-industrial-data-analytics

GrayMatter's emPOWERUP Podcast hosts Steve Pavlosky, GE Digital's Principle Product Manager of Proficy Historian. 

Proficy Historian "collects industrial time-series and A&E data at very high speed, stores it efficiently and securely, distributes it, and allows for fast retrieval and analysis — driving greater business value."

emPOWERUP Podcast Host Jeremy Boren of GrayMatter talks with Steve about the latest Proficy Historian 2022 updates including Configuration Hub enhancements, Python collector scripts and support for Power BI visualizations.

To learn more about Historian and schedule a SCADA Assessment briefing with GrayMatter, visit: graymattersystems.com/automation-controls-offering/