255: How AI is Reshaping Security and OT Network Requirements featuring Felipe Sabino Costa, Sr. Product Manager for Networking & Cybersecurity at Moxa

It’s been over a year since we’ve talked about cybersecurity on Manufacturing Happy Hour, and with AI changing the game completely, we’re overdue for a refresh. Around 80-85% of the global industry doesn’t have basic defense at the edge of their networks; that’s a sobering statistic.

Felipe Sabino Costa, Senior Product Manager for Networking and Cybersecurity at Moxa, joins the show to break down why Operational Technology (OT) security matters more than ever.

Manufacturers need to transmit massive amounts of data for AI and predictive analytics, but they’re working with 15–20-year-old infrastructure that wasn’t built for this.

The good news is, Felipe shares practical frameworks like NIST and IEC 62443 (which he compares to nutrition labels) that help manufacturers build security into their operations.

The key takeaway? There's no silver bullet; it's about building layers of defense and finding the right partners.

In this episode, find out:

• Why OT data has shifted from historical logging to real-time predictive power
• The bandwidth issue hitting intelligent transportation systems and semiconductor manufacturing
• How AI enables attackers to adapt their attacks in real-time
• Why 80-85% of global industry lacks protection
• Felipe's nutrition label analogy for understanding security certifications
• The difference between thinking your air-gapped and actually being air-gapped
• Why defense requires multiple layers of security
• Felipe's outlook on the future of OT networks

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “We used to be air-gapped or isolated. And many of the companies, they still think that they are, but they are not anymore. To be really air-gapped, I shouldn't have any way to send data.”
• “Give and take, 80% of the global industry, including the US, does not have these specific layers of defense. They have some defense, but they have nearly zero protection close to the process itself.”
• “There is no silver bullet. We are seeing this shift right from how we used to do security. A strategy should be way more sophisticated.”

Links & mentions:

• OT Network Security: Investment & Segmentation Strategies, a webinar that addresses the financial and operational risks posed by cyber threats while offering hands-on guidance for OT network security
• Futureproof Industrial Networks, a website shares how to design and implement a robust, secure, and efficient network infrastructure that can meet the demands of modern industrial environments and optimize operational processes
• Moxa, delivering the reliable and secure connectivity foundation that advanced analytics and AI depend on, with solutions in edge connectivity, industrial computing, and network infrastructure

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.