On April 4, we connect with ServiceNow’s Aswin Mannepalli and Karan Shrivastava for the Spring INSIGHT webinar “Secure First, Then Converge IT & OT To Drive Efficiency.” Today, we preview that presentation with the Aswin, global head of manufacturing industry marketing with ServiceNow, exploring new ways to merge IT and OT, the relationship between this convergence and security, and the importance of managing assets on a unified platform. Take a look…
Smart Industry: What is the relationship between secure practices and IT/OT convergence?
Aswin: Secure practices are critical in the context of IT/OT convergence because the integration of these two systems creates new attack surfaces and security risks. IT systems are typically designed with security in mind, while OT systems have historically been more focused on reliability and availability. However, with the integration of these two systems, security concerns become more complex and multifaceted.
Smart Industry: What is slowing IT/OT convergence? What's a solution to quicken the pace?
Aswin: Several factors are slowing the pace of IT/OT convergence:
1. Lack of interoperability: IT and OT systems often use different protocols, standards, and technologies, making it difficult to integrate them seamlessly.
2. Cultural differences: IT and OT teams have traditionally had different priorities and ways of working, leading to communication and collaboration challenges.
3. Security concerns: Integrating IT and OT systems can create new security risks that need to be carefully managed.
To quicken the pace of IT/OT convergence, organizations can take several steps, such as:
- Adopting standards: Standardization of protocols and technologies can help ensure interoperability and streamline the integration process.
- Building a culture of collaboration: Encouraging collaboration between IT and OT teams, and providing opportunities for cross-training, can help break down silos and foster greater understanding, cooperation and cross pollination of best practices and ideas.
- Prioritizing security: Implementing strong security measures and building security into the design of integrated systems can help mitigate the risks associated with IT/OT convergence.
- Leveraging new technologies: Emerging technologies, such as edge computing, AI, and the Internet of Things (IoT), can help facilitate IT/OT convergence and provide new opportunities for innovation and optimization.
- Managing both IT and OT assets on one single, unified platform.
Smart Industry: How does improved security and visibility into productions processes enable greater convergence?
Aswin: Greater risk management—Knowing that you can manage all of your technology assets on one platform enables you to be more confident of your security posture. In case anything were to go wrong, you can respond with greater speed and agility.
Improved decision-making—Clear visibility into production processes allows organizations to make data-driven decisions based on real-time insights. This can help improve decision-making across the organization, from the plant floor to the executive suite.
Better collaboration—When IT and OT teams have access to the same data and information about production processes, it fosters greater collaboration and communication. This can help break down silos and enable more effective problem-solving.
Faster response times—When IT and OT systems are integrated and visibility is clear, organizations can respond more quickly to changes in production. This can help reduce lead times and improve customer satisfaction.
