Full Report
On November 12 – 13 the Third Specialized Conference “IT Security for Industrial Systems” will be held in Frankfurt.
Analysis Summary
# Industry News: Upcoming ICS Security Conference in Frankfurt
## Summary
Kaspersky ICS CERT has announced the Third Specialized Conference focused on IT Security for Industrial Systems, scheduled to take place in Frankfurt on November 12–13. This event signifies a continued market focus on strengthening operational technology (OT) security, crucial for critical infrastructure operators globally.
## Key Details
- Date: November 12 – 13 (Announcement date: August 06, 2018)
- Companies Involved: Kaspersky ICS CERT (Organizer)
- Category: Industry Event/Conference Announcement
## The Story
The announcement pertains to a specialized, focused conference dedicated entirely to the security of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT). Such targeted events serve as critical platforms for knowledge sharing, product demonstration, and strategic alignment among vendors, integrators, and end-users facing increasing cyber threats to physical processes.
## Business Impact
### For the Companies Involved (Kaspersky and Partners)
- **Visibility and Thought Leadership:** The conference allows Kaspersky ICS CERT to solidify its position as a leading authority and threat intelligence provider in the specialized ICS security space.
- **Lead Generation:** It provides a direct avenue to engage with high-value prospects, including security decision-makers from industrial environments across Europe.
### For Competitors
- **Benchmarking:** Competitors will use the event agenda and attendee interest to gauge market priorities, competitive messaging, and the perceived dominance of Kaspersky in the OT security dialogue.
### For Customers (Industrial Operators)
- **Knowledge Acquisition:** Customers gain access to the latest threat vectors, defense strategies, and potentially new solutions relevant to their specific regulatory and operational needs in the ICS/OT domain.
- **Networking:** Opportunity to connect with peers facing similar operational challenges.
### For the Market
- **Demand Signal:** The continued scheduling of specialized, high-level conferences confirms that ICS security expenditure remains a high priority, translating into sustained market growth for specialized security solutions.
## Technical Implications
The technical focus of the conference likely centered on current OT/ICS vulnerabilities, best practices for network segmentation (Purdue Model adherence), secure remote access solutions, and the application of new security technologies like specialized endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools adapted for industrial protocols.
## Strategic Analysis
- **Market Positioning:** By hosting this event, Kaspersky strategically positions itself at the nexus of IT and OT security convergence, capturing mindshare in a sector that is rapidly adopting heightened security measures due to regulatory pressure and high-profile incidents.
- **Competitive Advantage:** Active participation in the community via conferences fosters trust, which is paramount in the conservative ICS sector where vendor hesitancy is common.
- **Challenges:** Ensuring the agenda remains forward-looking and technologically relevant, avoiding generalized IT security topics, is key to maintaining credibility among deeply specialized OT engineers.
## Industry Reactions
*(Note: As this is a historical announcement, generalized industry reaction pertains to the importance of such forums generally.)*
- **Analyst Opinions:** Analysts typically praise specialized forums, viewing them as indicators of market maturity where vendors move beyond basic firewall concepts towards deep process protection.
- **Market Response:** Increased urgency among industrial firms to audit their current OT security posture following exposure to new threat intelligence discussed at such events.
## Future Outlook
- **Predictions and Expectations:** Events like this are precursors to increased market deployment of unified IT/OT security platforms designed to bridge visibility gaps.
- **What to watch for:** The solutions and case studies presented at the conference reveal which defense technologies are gaining traction in real-world industrial deployments.
## For Security Professionals
Cybersecurity practitioners involved in OT environments should prioritize reviewing the presented materials or attending future iterations. These conferences often reveal the specific security standards and compliance challenges being addressed by leading vendors, which directly informs defensive architecture planning, incident response playbook development for industrial environments, and professional development training needs.