Vivek Ponnada is Regional Sales Director in Nozomi Networks and is also a part of this year’s advisory board for the international Industrial Security Conference 2024, which takes place on the 12 – 13 – 14 November. Warm up to the conference in November, with an interesting interview with Vivek.
Would you like to start by introducing yourself, what is your background and how do you work with industrial security?
My very first full-time job at age 18 was in traditional ICS – I had just graduated from high school and got hired as an instrumentation technician at a Fertilizer plant. Interestingly, my first ever user manual was on GE Speedtronic Mark V Gas & Steam Turbine Control System, and seems like I never left that world. While studying engineering part-time, I became a GE Field Service Engineer and commissioned Turbine Control Systems worldwide. Years later, I went back to Business School to get my MBA, and GE hired me back as a Sales Manager for Control System upgrades. Most of these projects had some cybersecurity scope due to NERC-CIP regulations, and I was hooked on OT Security!
You are a part of the Advisory board 2024 at the Industrial Security Conference CPH. Why and what do you get out of being on the board?
It’s a great honor to be part of the Advisory Board and to contribute to the CFP guidelines & review. Each of the advisory board members has a unique Security background, and a commitment to diversity of thought & promoting educational/enriching content, so happy to play a small part of my own in selecting the conference topics.
What do you think is relevant in the industry right now?
OT Security has been slow to mature, both as an industry and in being applied by asset-owners consistently. But in the past few years, there has been a marked improvement in available products, asset-owners prioritizing risk-based solutions, and in general OT Security getting a ‘seat the table’. However, the vast majority are still early in their security journey so what’s relevant are the basics (asset inventory, vulnerability assessment, access controls etc.), though they are not flashy!
The deadline for Call for Papers is May 1st for the conference. What will you be looking for in the selection of submissions?
Two classes of papers I’m interested in 1) how well an organization/individual was able to overcome a technical problem or comply with a piece of regulation in a novel or efficient way 2) ‘what’s coming soon’ or innovative approaches in OT Security applications that can make a difference for asset owners quickly.
What are you focusing on in your workplace right now? What are you working on at the moment?
I work for an OT Security vendor, and besides our base product-line, our current focus is AI and Wireless. Nearly 80% of my conversations with our prospects & customers involve Cloud and AI as they can help with addressing OT security at scale.
What is the value for you of attending the Industrial Security Conference CPH? And why do you think it’s important for others to attend?
Two incredible reasons 1) Networking with both local/regional peers and global OT practitioners 2) highly-curated and thoughtful sessions to learn something that can be applied in various fields from technical to policy/compliance.
What projects are you excited about right now when it comes to Industrial Security?
AI and Machine Learning with data processing at the edge (protecting privacy/IP besides the main goal of improving security with scale & automation) while leveraging Cloud as needed.
What does the future look like in industrial security?
Less volatile but just as challenging & rewarding – we’ve a long way to go in bringing up the ‘average’ in Industrial Security to meet best practices, let alone state-of-the art. But that journey is fulfilling and meaningful!
DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE CONFERENCE?
Take a look at the conference here and sign up today. Last year more than 300 attendees joined, so this year we have teamed up with a new venue to make room for even more attendees. This year the conference is held at Scandic Copenhagen. Read more about the conference and join today.