Globally, 30,000 websites are hacked daily. 64% of companies worldwide have experienced at least one form of a cyberattack. There were 22 billion breached records in 2021.
According to IoT World Today, more than half of Internet of Things (IoT) devices are vulnerable to severe attacks, and only about 50 percent of IoT organizations have the proper infrastructure to protect themselves from hacking.
Digital trends and world events are transforming the way people engage with technology and opening the door for new cyberattacks, new victims and new best practices.
Recent and ongoing cybersecurity incidents show that cybercriminals are after more than data – they are targeting infrastructure like pipelines, water supply centers and food producers to cause harm and disruption.
Standing in their way are cybersecurity professionals like Abhishek Mehrotra, John Schilling, and Helena Taribo Gomez – proud Rockwell Automation employees.
Cybersecurity Careers at Rockwell
Abhishek is an engineering manager focused on technology to strengthen the environment where Information Technology (IT) and Operations Technology (OT) converge.
The most efficient enterprises are connected, seamlessly sharing data and information for better real-time decisions. John, senior manager, Security and Risk Management, has 32 years of experience in IT/OT automation and cybersecurity helping protect Rockwell’s customers and their Connected Enterprise ecosystems.
Helena, cybersecurity team leader and network services manager, joined Rockwell as part of the acquisition of Oylo, dedicated to providing a broad range of industrial control system (ICS) cybersecurity services globally.
They work to protect customers and by extension, their work impacts the world.
Working in concert
Customers are facing a combination of unprecedented challenges, including the retirement of employees with deep domain expertise in the security field, and the increased interconnectivity of people, products, process, and technology. Protecting customers starts with excellent internal security processes tested ‘at home’.
“Because we are a global manufacturer, we are a great place to test our products and services,” Abhishek said. “We can pilot and validate our new products and services, and continually improve. We are in constant learning mode, monitoring real-time intelligence feeds and threat updates for issues that can affect customers and our company.”
John applies those learnings to the strategic roadmap for product and service development. With an ever-changing threat landscape, new capabilities must align with current and future customer needs.
“We are not latent or reactive, we are in the moment and future-looking, part of the front end of development. That’s how we help ensure that what we are developing and offering, can keep our customers one step ahead of bad threat actors,” John said.
Crisis averted
For people interested in a career in cybersecurity, John said one key attribute for success is a sense of accomplishment from an averted crisis.
“Based on real-time data and visibility, quantifiable facts and assessments, and user-friendly dashboards we can see where a hole might be opening and then we work to plug that hole before something malicious can develop. So instead of fixing a problem we’ve avoided it, and there is a tremendous amount of satisfaction knowing, for example, that our work kept clean water flowing to a town, avoided a massive food recall, or kept the power on,” John said.
“From a services standpoint this makes us a trusted partner both to our internal teams and to our customers,” added Abhishek. “Our work is never finished and it’s never the same thing. We add value every day by avoiding breaches, mitigating vulnerabilities, and evolving our security posture so our customers can become proactive rather than reactive.”
Growing career
For Helena, no two days are the same – and it’s an environment where she believes innovative people can thrive.
“Here, we can expand our knowledge, have time to get our certifications, continue our education, and have time for our growth,” Helena said.
“Every customer is different, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to interact with different environments. A water plant is different from a bottling company or cement plant. You will never be bored. You need to really use your brain to work here,” she added.
Defining best-in-class
For John, Rockwell’s unique position as a manufacturer that also brings the Connected Enterprise® to life provides an opportunity for security practitioners to be on the leading edge.
“We’re pushing boundaries and defining what best-in-class looks like,” he said.
“In this space you are directly influencing a customer’s ability to make a product, to get oil and gas to the world, to package food, and you see our impact immediately,” Abhishek said.
“Rockwell is the largest pure-play company in the world dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation. With 100+ years of experience in automation, decades of experience in the convergence of IT and OT, and acquisitions like Avnet Data Security to expand cybersecurity expertise, this is where innovative people can solve complex problems that benefit not only a company or an industry, but our entire world,” Abhishek added.
The reward
Rockwell’s Threat Detection Managed Services supports customers with application-level, real-time monitoring, and response services to help detect, identify, contain, eradicate, and recover from a cyber incident. This is a cloud-based service focusing on both Cisco and Claroty threat detection software.
Want to learn more and explore the many career opportunities at Rockwell? Check out our Cybersecurity Careers page to apply for a position or sign up for our Talent Network.
