Welcome to the podcast version of "A CISO's Guide to OT Security" by Chris McLaughlin. This episode explains why IT-led security programs often struggle in operational technology (OT) environments and sets the stage for a practical, CISO-focused series to build industrial security programs.

The episode outlines five common mistakes CISOs make when interacting with OT teams: not understanding OT priorities (safety and availability), undervaluing OT engineers' knowledge, incorrect assumptions about OT patching, excluding OT from incident response planning, and not applying OT-specific security frameworks.

Listeners will learn the CIA + S concept (confidentiality, integrity, availability, plus safety), the importance of IT/OT collaboration through plant tours and tabletop exercises, risk-based patching strategies, and framework recommendations such as ISA/IEC 62443 and NIST 800-82.

This is the first of a series of 12 episodes mapped to the forthcoming book due in 2026, designed for audio so you can consume individual chapters or follow the series in order. Subscribe for future episodes and practical guidance on building a sustainable industrial security program.

Episode 2 of the CISO's Guide to OT Security with Chris McLaughlin walks through seven practical steps to build a sustainable industrial security program. This episode focuses on how to fix common OT security mistakes by bridging the gap between IT and OT and creating lasting, operationally controls.

Step 1: Admit you have a problem and secure executive and engineering buy-in by showing realistic OT threats such as remote access risks, ransomware spillover, and unsafe third-party access.

Step 2: Add an OT translator to your security team — an engineer or consultant who can communicate OT realities to IT and lend credibility to the program.

Step 3: Understand the critical business and OT processes through plant tours and discussions so you can prioritize protections where they matter most.

Step 4: Inventory OT assets carefully after you have organizational context; use passive tooling and the OT translator to avoid disrupting operations and map zones and conduits per ISA/IEC guidance.

Step 5: Add value to operations (backups and failover checks, virtualization reviews, investment support, operational fixes) so OT teams welcome the security effort rather than resist it.

Step 6: Implement OT governance based on standards like ISA-IEC 62443, starting with the most critical controls and improving the program iteratively.

Step 7: Keep it real — involve operators, maintenance staff and contractors, tie security into safety messaging, run tabletop exercises, and provide clear, practical awareness training.

The episode closes by emphasizing the importance of a cooperative IT–OT relationship and invites feedback at chris@theotpodcast.com. Tune in to episode 3 for a deep dive into common OT cyber threats and mitigation strategies.