The Cyber Defense eMagazine February Edition for 2024

That is where things stand in my industry – we are hobbled by the conflict of several governmental
imperatives.
Information Technology and Operational Technology
Of course, there are the obvious applications of IT and OT in the aluminum industry, just as there are in
the endeavors of readers of Cyber Defense Magazine.
Participants in the aluminum industry rely on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), IT, OT,
and other computer-based systems. We are subject to many of the same requirements as other
organizations using these systems. In collecting, transmitting, sharing, and storing data, we must
maintain its confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility.
We, too, face conflicting priorities, and must find ways to comply and harmonize our responsibilities. Let
me mention a few of them.
• Privacy concerns and rights of consumers, vendors, customers, and regulators often conflict with
duties to comply with legal process for discovery under criminal investigations.
• Artificial Intelligence applications are growing in the impenetrable thicket of patents, copyrights,
and other protected intellectual property.
• We all operate on the Security-Convenience spectrum, choosing how to balance the two priorities
• Risk Management is another overlap in our activities, especially choosing which risks to retain
and resolve and which ones to lay off on a third party (cyber liability insurance, for example)
• We also must recognize that compliance with Legal and Regulatory requirements may not always
be sufficient to avoid liability for our organization’s acts or omissions
How we are addressing these challenges
Based on my belief that in the marketplace, as in life, we are more alike than we are different, we are
taking several parallel steps in our future strategy and operations. We have established ourselves in the
industry as both a niche player and a vertical expansion vehicle. There are four principal initiatives we
are pursuing to implement our program, and I believe that in your capacity with your own organization,
you will find them instructive.
Internal
We have created an organization culture to encourage our employees to be dedicated to the mission of
our company. They understand and value the work we do, and are committed to our success. Training
and education are an integral part of our advancement program. In cybersecurity terms, we assure that
everyone is aware of the latest developments and prepared to avoid cyber attacks.
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