CyberSmart 2024: Facing a Rapidly Changing Landscape

Cybersecurity has always contended with evolving threats. As the internet has become more embedded into social and economic life and smart phones, tablets and other handheld devices become ubiquitous, bad actors have devised new attacks to capitalize on new vulnerabilities.

And just as agencies are implementing zero trust architecture to help with this wave, other IT developments are threatening to upend cybersecurity even more. For instance, artificial intelligence is being incorporated into software, even as elected officials and regulatory agencies are trying to develop new rules of the road for its use. At the same time, historically-offline operations technology is beginning to be integrated with IT systems, opening up the OT to attacks that previously weren’t feasible.

Learning Objectives:

• Outline the requirements to establish identity for both persons and devices within a zero trust architecture
• Evaluate criteria for user-friendly methods of credentialing and system access
• List software and platforms that have incorporated AI and which AI engines they use
• Delineate regulatory actions being considered for controlling AI
• Identify OT systems being used by your agency and who is responsible for their security
• Define the points in your systems where IT and OT make direct connections
• Review IT security plans and how to incorporate OT security