Andrew Lintell, from Claroty, discusses his team’s focus on the EU NIS2 Directive and the impact the legislation will have on IT and OT landscapes.
Andrew Lintell is currently the general manager of Claroty’s EMEA region. Lintell has extensive cybersecurity experience, having worked in senior positions at companies such as Kaspersky Lab and HID Global.
Lintell’s current role at Claroty is to lead strategic initiatives, and focus on driving adoption of the company’s operational technology (OT), solutions across the industrial, healthcare, commercial, and government sectors.
Lintell is currently focused on the introduction of the NIS2 directive by the EU. This legislative act aims to improve the cybersecurity standards in the EU. NIS2, first proposed by the European Commission (EC) in 2020, aims to ensure that EU members states take appropriate measures to manage threats and minimise the impact of attacks.
Lintell explains that “this directive increases the pressure placed on critical infrastructure entities in order to mitigate regulatory risk and enhance resilience.”
What challenges are you facing in the current IT environment and how are you addressing these challenges?
The complexity and ambiguity in regulation is one of the biggest challenges that we face today in the IT/OT world. Recent, enhanced regulations are difficult to interpret and prioritise for many businesses, making compliance a daunting challenge. Claroty focuses on breaking down rules into manageable pieces, helping our clients to understand the aspects that are most critical for their specific operations. We provide ongoing support through regular audits and training sessions, as well as updates on the latest cyber trends.
We also encourage the sharing of best practices and insights, and we stress the importance of inter-organisational partnerships. This teamwork helps not only with compliance, but also boosts security readiness. By guiding our clients through NIS2, we hope to transform what appears as a confusing mess into an effective and proactive security plan.
How do you feel about digital transformation as a whole in your industry?
Cyber-physical system (CPS), or CPS, security is a priority for us. This includes digital transformation. As industries integrate digital technologies more into their operations, robust cybersecurity measures become more important. This transformation can be seen in the shift away from centralised power generation towards distributed renewable energy sources such as solar and winds farms.
These assets are often located in remote areas and require robust security measures because of their potential vulnerabilities and critical nature. While some sectors like the US electrical grid are required to be air-gapped, and use on-premises solutions, ensuring that they are protected against cyberthreats is still crucial.
Claroty secures connected environments by providing solutions that ensure the safe integration digital technologies into industrial operations. Our approach includes comprehensive asset detection, continuous monitoring, and threat detection tailored for industrial control systems and OT environment.
We also place a high priority on education and awareness. We offer regular training sessions that keep our clients up-to-date with the latest cybersecurity trends. We help our clients navigate digital transformations while maintaining robust security postures by combining advanced technology with a proactive educational approach.
‘NIS2 encourages organisations to prioritize cybersecurity at the highest level’
In recent years, sustainability has become a major business objective. What is your opinion on how this issue can be addressed in an IT perspective?
Adopting digital transformation increases efficiency, which supports sustainability efforts. Digital technologies can help reduce waste by streamlining operations and improving the management of resources. This is a key board metric and an investor metric.
It is also important to foster an open dialogue within the industry. By sharing cybersecurity insights, best practices and security measures, organisations can improve their defences, ensure consistency and promote a resilient cybersecurity posture. This will support both operational efficiency as well as sustainability.
What are the biggest tech trends that you believe will change the world, and your industry in particular?
As we have already mentioned, NIS2 is a big thing on our horizon for our EMEA operations. It represents a major change in the way we approach cybersecurity for critical infrastructure.
NIS2’s potential to standardise OT cybersecurity practices and elevate them across the industry is what I find most interesting. NIS2 encourages organisations to prioritize cybersecurity by setting clear and stringent requirements. This directive encourages the sharing of intelligence and best practices to combat cyberthreats.
NIS2 improves the overall resilience and security of critical infrastructure. NIS2 will become a cornerstone for our industry by promoting a proactive, unified approach to cybersecurity.
What is your opinion on the security challenges that your industry faces?
To tackle the security challenges of our industry, we need to follow a solid OT cyber-security plan built on best practices and guidelines. These plans provide organisations with effective strategies to protect CPS, and ensure that everyone, from employees and stakeholders, is on the same page using a common language.
Promoting open communication and collaboration is crucial. Sharing cybersecurity insights with partners and within an organization fosters strong relationships and helps identify vulnerabilities. This culture of transparency allows companies to assess security protocols and determine best practices for their unique operational circumstances.
Sharing information helps to foster open discussions about the best security methods, build trust and form strategic partnerships within the industry. Success depends on following best practices, meeting regulatory needs, and focusing both on cyber and operational resilience.
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