The Everything Feed - All Packet Pushers Pods PP095: OT and ICS – Where Digital and Physical Risks Meet
Feb 3, 2026
Sam Van Ryder, co-founder of CyberSec Community and OT security leader at Dragos, brings practical OT/ICS expertise and community-building experience. He discusses how OT differs from IT, legacy systems and the dangers of misapplied IT controls. He covers ransomware and nation-state risks, the need for passive monitoring and physical walkdowns, and practical approaches to harmonize IT and OT security.
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Conference Grown To Nurture Talent
- Sam describes growing HUSecCon into CyberSec Community to build local cyber talent and mentorship.
- They added OT-focused tracks, youth programs, and low-cost tickets to funnel and retain talent.
OT Risks Are Physical, Not Just Digital
- OT/ICS control physical-world outcomes like power, water, and fuel production rather than just data.
- Failures can cause production loss or severe physical harm, so OT risk tolerances differ from IT.
Adversaries Plant Long-Term Access
- Threats to OT include ransomware bleed-over and nation-state actors preparing long-term access.
- Adversaries often live in environments doing recon so future disruption looks like legitimate operator activity.
