Government officials need to recognize the importance of control system cybersecurity

My colleague, Vytautas Butrimas, is retiring after a long and distinguished career. I am writing this blog both in admiration for Vytautas’s work but also to demonstrate that government leaders like Vytautas and former US Congressman James Langevin, neither of whom is an engineer, can become leaders in supporting the need for control system, not just network IT and OT, cybersecurity. When I first met Vytautas many years ago, he was in the Lithuanian Defense Ministry. He was actively involved in NATO security meetings including cybersecurity. Vytautas was aware of IT cybersecurity but not control system cybersecurity. Vytautas was not an engineer but was very sharp, open-minded, and willing to listen. After understanding the differences between IT and control system cybersecurity, Vytautas has become one of the leading “ambassadors” for control system cybersecurity and willing to critique other international and US government documents that continue to look at cybersecurity only through “IT glasses”. It is a shame the list of government leaders who support the unique issues with control system cybersecurity globally is so small.

https://www.controlglobal.com/blogs/unfettered/blog/55299070/vytautas-butrimas-championed-control-system-cybersecurity-during-his-career

http://www.realtimeacs.com

Control Systems Cybersecurity Expert, Joseph M. Weiss, is an international authority on cybersecurity, control systems and system security. Weiss weighs in on cybersecurity, science and technology, security emerging threats and more.