OT/ICS security leader lays out the dangers posed to industrial control systems by cyber threat groups and shows stakeholders the steps towards best practices
Dragos recently held a special event in Doha, Qatar, on securing the future of industrial control systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT) from cyberthreats.
Held at the Sheraton Hotel in Doha, the event was a morning of talks and demos that allowed industry stakeholders, including IT and OT leaders, to see up close the dangers posed to their infrastructures by the modern threat landscape.
“Digital transformation is pivotal to the bolstering of industrial sectors by regional governments as they seek to diversify their economies,” said Omar Al Barghouthi, Regional Director, Middle East, at Dragos. “But threat groups see their opportunity to hit mission-critical infrastructure and bring businesses to their knees.”
The event concentrated on exploring ways of countering the increased sophistication and severity of attacks on Oil and Gas, manufacturers, utilities, and other heavy-industry organizations around the world. It also highlighted the complexities of implementing robust and coherent cybersecurity strategies in OT environments. Company experts also demonstrated the latest Dragos solutions designed to reduce such complexities.
“Following the success of the FIFA World Cup, Qatar will now look to the world-class infrastructure it built across the country and devise ways to secure that investment,” said Al Barghouthi. “This will require the right security controls and capabilities. As a global OT security leader, Dragos has the capabilities and expertise to play a critical role in securing these assets, which is why we expanded into the Qatari market. We believe we can play a strong supporting role in the furtherance of Qatar National Vision 2030, through which the nation will become an advanced society capable of sustainable development.”
More than 150 customers and partners across industries such as oil and gas, energy and utility, and manufacturing attended the event, which kicked off with a welcome message from Christophe Culine, President of Global Sales and Chief Revenue Officer at Dragos. Culine laid out the challenges facing the industry and outlined Dragos’ global growth story, explaining why the GCC region had become such a key market for the company. He also reaffirmed Dragos’ commitment to Qatar and the wider region through making its portfolio of solutions available to the Qatari market, as well as its investments, partnerships, and the recruitment and development of local talent.
At the event, Al Barghouthi also delivered a key address on the evolution of OT security threats amid a changing industry. After sharing a forecast on the immediate future of ICS and its security, he explained how Dragos’ “five critical controls” approach can help organizations reduce their OT security risks. And Mazen Morsy, Dragos’ Director of Solution Architecture for EMEA, presented a detailed case study on PIPEDREAM, an industrial malware strain discovered by the company last year — one of a growing group of ICS-specific attacks.
The event also featured a rundown of best practices in establishing OT asset visibility. And the company’s product team conducted a demonstration of the Dragos Platform’s capabilities across asset visibility, detection, and response. “The Dragos Platform is the leading intelligence-driven technology for helping organizations gain visibility into their industrial networks,” said Al Barghouthi. The company also showcased World View, its threat intelligence capability driven by a global team of researchers.
“Dragos is here, and we are not going anywhere,” Al Barghouthi pledged. “That message is not just from us to threat actors. We say it on behalf of our customers. They are busy building and maintaining Qatar’s future infrastructure; and we are going to have their backs while they do it. Industries like petrochemicals, utilities, and manufacturing can be the backbone of economic diversity and prosperity. OT is the backbone of their digital transformation. And Dragos will be the backbone of the security that protects it all.”
