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The 3 pillars of an effective cybersecurity program

Sept. 30, 2021
Threats are constantly evolving, and therefore they need constant attention.

With an increase in the use of digital technology comes increased security threats from ever nimble and more aggressive attackers. Threats are constantly evolving, and therefore they need constant attention. In 2020, ransomware attacks grew by 435% compared to the previous year, according to the Bitdefender 2020 Consumer Threat Landscape Report, with a similar increase projected this year.

To better understand cybersecurity best practices and how companies can protect themselves, Dee Kimata, director of cybersecurity offer management at Schneider Electric, hosted an Innovation Talks discussion that focused on the three main pillars of any effective cybersecurity program: people, process and technology.

Graham Rennie, director of technology and standards at Schneider Electric, began the discussion with the technology element, including best practices for reference architecture and how to secure the industrial automation space. First, Rennie said, it’s important to understand what security architecture is and what it’s trying to achieve. Defined as “the practice of designing computer systems to security goals,” security architecture is a vague term and one that can create confusion, Rennie said.

To learn more, read "The people, process and technology of cybersecurity" from Control.

About the Author

Anna Townshend | managing editor

Anna Townshend has been a journalist and editor for almost 20 years. She joined Control Design and Plant Services as managing editor in June 2020. Previously, for more than 10 years, she was the editor of Marina Dock Age and International Dredging Review. In addition to writing and editing thousands of articles in her career, she has been an active speaker on industry panels and presentations, as well as host for the Tool Belt and Control Intelligence podcasts. Email her at [email protected].

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