Episode 7 (2020): Ola Michalec - Hacking infrastructures: understanding capabilities of Operational Technology (OT) security workers

Ola is a research associate at the University of Bristol and is
interested in the 'making of' technology, science and policy,
specifically about the Cybersecurity of Critical National
Infrastructures


Facilities like power plants, water pipes and railway stations
underpin contemporary living standards across the world. For
decades, they have been operated by Operational Technologies
(OT), basic (yet sturdy!) computers without Internet access.
People working in OT facilities are traditionally manual workers
or engineers with training in safety.


In this session, Ola presents the results of a qualitative study
conducted between November 2019-January 2020, where her and her
team interviewed 30 UK-based security practitioners with
expertise in critical infrastructures. Their analysis is
concerned with the following questions: How do security
practitioners define (in)security? How do they evidence it? What
capabilities make a good OT security worker?