Legacy Systems and the Future of Manufacturing Security with Bill Rucker

Cyber Focus

In this episode of Cyber Focus, host Frank Cilluffo sits down with Bill Rucker, a seasoned veteran in IT and cybersecurity, currently leading Trustwave Government Solutions. They explore the insights from Trustwave's recent report on cybersecurity challenges facing the manufacturing sector. Rucker highlights the rapidly rising costs of breaches, now averaging $5.8 million, emphasizing vulnerabilities stemming from legacy operational technology (OT) and the complexities of integrating OT with modern IT systems. The conversation also covers the increased sophistication of cyber threats, the critical need for visibility in cybersecurity, and practical steps manufacturers can take to bolster their defenses.

Main Topics Covered:

• Rising cybersecurity threats in manufacturing
• Increasing costs and impacts of cybersecurity breaches in manufacturing
• Challenges with legacy OT devices and integration with IT infrastructure
• Recommendations for strengthening cybersecurity resilience in manufacturing
• Importance of collaboration between private sector companies and government cybersecurity efforts

Key Quotes:

"The average cost of breach in 2023 for the manufacturing sector was about 4.6, 4.7 million dollars. That's closer to 5.8 now." – Bill Rucker

"The biggest issue too in manufacturing is the legacy devices and the fact that there's now such a push to take OT devices and put them into IoT." – Bill Rucker

"Dwell time—how long an adversary remains undetected—used to be 177 days on average. Now it’s sub-10 days in the last two years, thanks to the explosion of EDR technology." – Bill Rucker

“Human nature remains consistent for good or bad, and it's going to take people to have trust and actually work together to get things done." – Frank Cilluffo

"Bad news doesn't get better with time. So let's talk about what the challenges are." – Bill Rucker

Relevant Links and Resources:

• Trustwave's latest Manufacturing Sector Threat Report
• Spider Labs from Trustwave

Guest Bio: Bill Rucker is the President of Trustwave Government Solutions, with nearly 25 years of experience in cybersecurity and IT. His leadership has been instrumental in securing critical sectors, including government and manufacturing, through strategic cybersecurity initiatives.