Decoding Cyber Threats: Protecting Critical Infrastructure in a Digital World

Regulatory Oversight Podcast

In the latest episode of Regulatory Oversight, Troutman Pepper Partner Judy Jagdmann and Counsel Gene Fishel are joined by Sam Kaplan, assistant general counsel for public policy for Palo Alto Networks. They engage in an insightful conversation revolving around the government response to cyber incidents and the potential role of AI in combating cybersecurity threats.

Kaplan, a former assistant secretary for cyber, infrastructure, risk, and resilience policy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, shares his expert perspective on the evolving cyber threat landscape as it relates to critical infrastructure. He categorizes cyber threats into four principal types: ransomware, industrial control system attacks, vulnerability exploitation, and supply chain attacks.

The discussion also addresses the challenges that critical infrastructure operators face, such as the use of legacy systems, IT/OT convergence, lack of skilled resources, regulatory compliance, and data management. Kaplan emphasizes the importance of understanding the regulatory landscape, the need for holistic cyber incident response, and the increasing sophistication and scale of cyber-attacks.

The discussion concludes with a reminder that cybersecurity is an all-encompassing issue that requires ongoing attention from all stakeholders within an organization.