UTSI's advisory board digs into cybersecurity's challenges, trends + tech

From The Board

Courtesy photo

In today's digital landscape, the convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) presents both opportunities and challenges for critical infrastructure asset owners and operators.

UTSI, a leading systems integrator of OT technology, has assembled an OT Cybersecurity Advisory Board to address these challenges and highlight standard processes and best practices to evaluate and secure these environments.

“We are excited about the strength of our esteemed Advisory Board and are confident that these strategic alliances will enhance our competitiveness,” says Shaun Six, president of UTSI International.

A few of the drivers of OT and IT convergence include increased efficiency, enhanced data, and improved remote monitoring and control capabilities. It exists to promote the promise of connectivity, data visualization, and to enable AI and better decision-making.

Key challenges
However, there are challenges. Increased attack surface, legacy systems, and infrastructure, as well as differing security requirements and regulatory and compliance challenges are all present.

“As we witnessed our global infrastructure recover from the largest outage on July 19, this is a clear and present example of how the application of technology between IT/OT can have an impact on the underlying interdependencies in critical systems and infrastructure," says Cherise Esperaza, co-founder and president of Security Gate. "Therefore, there is an ever-increasing need for resources to be expended for this endeavor, and understanding the areas of risk alongside business outcomes as it relates to the convergence will be a critical to ensuring optimal availability of these systems.”

Increased monitoring

When it comes to security monitoring and incident response, it's vital to incorporate new tools to monitor, meeting the same standards as legacy assets and reporting vulnerabilities.

"Continuous monitoring is one of the most critical aspects of securing your IT/OT infrastructure," offers Eric Rippetoe, former CISO of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and UTSI cybersecurity consultant. "Automated tools coupled with mature processes allow organizations to rapidly detect security threats and enable teams to quickly respond to address issues. Having a security incident and not knowing about it could result in huge remediation costs and major long-term reputational damage."

Emerging technology and trends
With the rise of AI, it makes sense now more than ever to follow the principle of "never trust, always verify." A Zero Trust architecture is a strategic approach to cybersecurity that secures an organization by eliminating implicit trust and continuously validating every stage of a digital interaction.

In line with this approach, UTSI International Corporation, as a Gold Partner of ThreatGEN, has been intensively utilizing ThreatGEN's AutoTableTop™ incident response tabletop exercise simulation tool. This advanced technology is helping UTSI provide meaningful tabletop exercises to their client base, particularly in high-risk SCADA and OT environments.

Clint Bodungen, president of ThreatGEN, emphasizes the tool's significance: "This tool is designed to sharpen incident response capabilities for teams operating in critical SCADA and OT environments. In these high-stakes settings, where system availability is paramount and the consequences of failure can be catastrophic, AutoTableTop™ provides an unparalleled platform for realistic, AI-driven tabletop exercises. It allows teams to practice and refine their responses to a wide range of scenarios, with practically zero planning time required, ensuring they're prepared for the unique challenges posed by industrial control systems where even a minor slip-up could have deadly consequences. This application of advanced simulation technology aligns with the industry's move towards more robust and realistic cybersecurity training, especially in sectors where the stakes are exceptionally high."

In conclusion
The convergence of IT and OT presents significant cybersecurity challenges for critical infrastructure. However, by understanding these challenges and implementing effective strategies, organizations can protect their essential systems from cyber threats.

“Maintaining an accurate inventory of assets poses a significant challenge for companies with control system networks," says Derek Harp, chairman, Control System Cyber Security Association International. "As outlined in our 2024 OT Cybersecurity Technology Report, not only is it difficult to identify these assets, but understanding their communication adds an additional layer of complexity. Typically, companies only gain a snapshot of their OT network status and assets' interactions during periodic assessments. Not surprisingly, our research also indicates that the frequency of these critical evaluations is increasing.”

The role of UTSI's OT Cybersecurity Advisory Board, along with the use of advanced tools like Security Gate and ThreatGEN, is pivotal in navigating this complex landscape. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, proactive measures and ongoing investment in cybersecurity will be crucial to safeguarding our most critical assets.

Was Houston snubbed? Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

Houston falls behind other Texas cities in report ranking best tech hubs

ouch

In a recent report analyzing metrics for best cities for tech hubs, Houston failed to crack the top 20 — unlike a few other Texas cities.

The new report, "The Top Tech Cities in the US: Ranking 100 Cities in 2024," by online security experts Cloudwards, examined 100 tech-reliant cities in the nation across 17 key indicators, including salaries for information technology professionals, a city's cost of living, internet quality, job opportunities and tech-related companies, and more.

Austin is the No. 7 best tech city in the nation, yet somehow not the best in Texas; The Dallas suburb of Plano outshone the capital city at No. 4, and its neighbor Frisco came in at No. 10. Houston, however, came in at No. 22.


Courtesy of: Cloudwards.net

Here's how Houston stacked up in the major categories in the study:

  • No. 13 – Cost of Living and Tech Salaries
  • No. 16 – Career and Education
  • No. 40 – Tech Community
  • No. 44 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • No. 53 – Internet Coverage and Quality

Austin's spot in No. 7 behind Plano's No. 4 might be surprising, but, according to the report, the Texas capitol's higher cost of living is to blame.

"Texas’s capital, Austin is a good place for startups since it’s easy to find top talent, initial capital and inexpensive office space," wrote the report's author. "However, due to the rapid rise in population (3 percent between 2021 and 2022), the cost of living has increased and access to good real estate has become more costly. Even so, the city’s distinct culture, access to educational opportunities and work-life balance continue to make Austin a popular choice for many IT professionals."

With many employers still embracing remote work, having a good wifi connection can make or break a person's ability to work from home. It seems that helped Plano get a leg up on Austin; 96 percent of Plano households have internet access, which was the single best connection rate of any city in the study. Austin didn't make the top five — but at least it didn't make the bottom five either.

Frisco also topped out in one category in particular, earning the title as "the most livable city in the U.S." according to Cloudwards.

Average salaries for IT professionals in Frisco come out to about $95,516 annually, which is only a $217 difference from Plano at $95,733. Given Austin's middling rank on the list above, no data was shared.

Central Texas didn't have much representation on the list. Although there were several North Texas suburbs, the only city near Austin was San Antonio, which came in at No. 18. It was the "Innovation and Entrepreneurship" category that brought it down, ranking No. 72.

Nationally, the cities that round out the top five most tech-savvy cities in the U.S. are:

  • No. 1 – New York City, New York
  • No. 2 – Washington, D.C.
  • No. 3 – San Francisco, California
  • No. 4 – Plano, Texas
  • No. 5 – Jersey City, New Jersey

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

Houston-based Liongard's Roar technology is helping its customers get all their IT services under one umbrella. Getty Images

Houston-based B2B tech company is connecting the dots on IT services

Hear me Roar

Houston-based startup Liongard, an Information Technology automation and management company, was founded on the idea that managing data and technology for companies shouldn't be so difficult.

Before founding Liongard, CEO Joe Alapat and COO Vincent Tran owned and operated Empact IT, an IT company, for more 10 years. In the decade they owned the company, Alapat said they saw the industry completely change as protecting a business' information and data became more challenging.

"[IT is] not all on one place in a data center anymore: it's in the Cloud, it's on the network, it's in app services and in on-premise [offices]," Alapat says. "The security problem is huge and that's exploding because … we lack visibility into basic things when we're managing IT. We just want to be able to manage it and get back to sanity."

After the duo sold the IT company in 2012, Alapat and Tran used the funds from the sale to launch Liongard in 2015 with the focus of automating the management of the plethora of systems that can overwhelm Managed Service Providers, or IT Service Providers.

"Everyone thinks their IT department is high-tech," Alapat says. "Unfortunately, the department that's supposed to be so high-tech is actually pretty manual. And they won't let on that it's challenging, but it really is [and] there's a lot of manual work involved."

So, Alapat and Tran developed Roar: a software product that creates a single dashboard for all data systems including the Cloud and apps, server networks, and on-site systems to make accessing and protecting the data easier. Alapat said Roar is able to inspect multiple systems and bring back rich information without logging into each different system.

Liongard joined entrepreneurial accelerator Station Houston — an association that helps place young businesses in front of investors — in June 2016 and gained access to its network of mentors, advisers, and investors.

In spring 2018, Liongard completed its Seed Stage round of its capital campaign with $1.3 million in investments. With these initial funds, Liongard was able to put Roar on the market in April 2018 and expand its client base — growing from two clients to now close to 200 customers in less than a year.

This year, the company will launch the second leg of its capital campaign with the goal of raising between $3 million to $4 million to help expand the company further.

Alapat said he thinks the company has been received well by Houston investors because Liongard offers a product that other IT management companies don't.

"No one has a unified way to look across the Cloud and network and apps and services and servers," Alapat

says. "There's plenty of different dashboards and solutions that looks at one or two of those things, but there's no single solution that consolidates all of that. That's what makes us different — that we unify all of that under one umbrella."

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State-of-the-art innovation hub opens in Houston Energy Corridor

flagship facility

French multinational company Schneider Electric has opened a new 10,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art Energy Innovation Center in Houston.

The new facility is located in Houston’s Energy Corridor and is designed to “foster increased collaboration and technological advancements across the entire value chain,” according to a news release from the company. The new Houston location joins Schneider's existing innovation hubs in Paris, Singapore and Bangalore.

The venue will serve as a training center for process control engineers, production superintendents, manufacturing managers, technical leads and plant operations personnel. It can simulate various real-world scenarios in refineries, combined-cycle power plants, ethylene plants, recovery boilers and chemical reactors.

It includes an interactive control room and artificial Intelligence applications that “highlight the future of industrial automation,” according to the release.

"Digitalization is significantly enhancing the global competitiveness of the U.S. through continuous innovation and increased investment into next-generation technology," Aamir Paul, Schneider Electric's President of North America Operations, said in the release.

Texas has over 4,100 Schneider Electric employees, the most among U.S. states, and has facilities in El Paso, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and other areas.

"This flagship facility in the Energy Capital of the World underscores our commitment to driving the future of software-defined automation for our customers in Houston and beyond,” Paul added in the release. “With this announcement, we are excited to continue supporting the nation's ambitions around competitive, efficient and cost-effective manufacturing."

Schneider Electric says the new Houston facility is part of its expansion plans in the U.S. The company plans to invest over $700 million in its U.S. operations through 2027, which also includes an expansion at its El Paso campus.

The company also announced plans to invest in solar and battery storage systems developed, built, and operated by Houston-based ENGIE North America last year. Read more here.

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This story first appeared on our sister site, EnergyCapitalHTX.com.

9 can't-miss Houston business and innovation events for April

where to be

Two new conferences will launch while another longtime business competition celebrates its 25th anniversary this month in Houston. Plus, there are networking opportunities, family tech events and more.

Here are the Houston business and innovation events you can't miss in April and how to register. Please note: this article might be updated to add more events.

​Ion Block Party: Art Crawl

Network and socialize with other tech enthusiasts and business-minded individuals while taking in the new gallery at Community Artists’ Collective and experiencing the immersive dome at Omnispace360. See work by Joel Zika, who will showcase his digital sculptures through augmented reality screens, and other public art around the Ion while also enjoying food and drink.

This event is Thursday, April 3, from 4-7 p.m. at the Ion. Click here to register.

​CLA Presents: Raising Capital over Happy Hour

Gain a better understanding of the capital-raising process and various funding opportunities at this educational happy hour. Keith Davidson, the market leader for CLA in Dallas and former CFO of ICS, will present.

This event is Thursday, April 10, from 4-6 p.m. at The Cannon. Click here to register.

Rice Business Plan Competition 

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship will host the 25th annual Rice Business Plan Competition this month. Forty-two student-led teams from around the world, including one team from Rice, will present their plans before more than 300 angel, venture capital, and corporate investors to compete for more than $1 million in prizes.

This event is April 10-12. Stream the Elevator Pitch Competition and Final Round here.

RSVF Annual Conference

The Rice Student Venture Fund will host its first-ever Annual Conference to celebrate the university's entrepreneurial spirit and the rising generation of student-led innovation. The conference will include live startup demos, an RSVF fund update, a keynote fireside chat, a builder-investor panel and networking. RSVF welcomes students, alumni, investors, faculty and staff, and innovators and community members of the broader tech scene.

This event is Monday, April 14, from 4-8 p.m. at the Ion. Click here to register.

​TEX-E Conference

TEX-E will host its inaugural conference this month under the theme "Energy & Entrepreneurship: Navigating the Future of Climate Tech." The half-day conference will feature a keynote from Artemis Energy Partners CEO Bobby Tudor as well as panels with other energy and tech leaders from NRG, Microsoft, GE Vernova and TEB Tech.

This event is Tuesday, April 15, from 1-4:30 p.m. at the Ion. Click here to register.

Houston Methodist Leadership Speaker Series 

Hear from Dr. Jonathan Rogg, Chief Quality Officer and Vice President of Operations at Houston Methodist Hospital and a a practicing emergency medicine physician, at the latest Houston Methodist Leadership Speaker Series. Rogg will present "Leadership from the Bedside to the Boardroom."

This event is on Wednesday, April 23, from 4:45-6 p.m. at the Ion. Click here to register.

Ion Family STEAM Day– Let's Build a Tripwire Alarm

STEAM on Demand will host a hands-on, family-friendly engineering lesson for young ones on the Ion Forum Stairs. Kids will learn to create and test their own working alarm system. The event is geared toward those ages 7 to 14.

This event is Sunday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ion. Click here to register.

 Greentown Houston Fourth Anniversary Transition On Tap

Climatetech incubator Greentown Labs will celebrate its fourth anniversary with a special edition of its signature networking event, Transition On Tap. Entrepreneurs, investors, students, and friends of climatetech are invited to attend.

This event is Tuesday, April 29, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Greentown Labs. Click here to register.

Integrate Space Technology Into Your Small Biz

The SBA Houston District Office and the UH Technology Bridge will host a collaborative event designed to help small businesses leverage space technology for prototype development. Attendees will also hear from industry experts on resources and gain access free technical engineering assistance to help accelerate their businesses.

This event is Wednesday, April 30, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at UH Technology Bridge Innovation Center. Click here to reserve your spot.

Texas university's innovative 'WaterHub' will dramatically reduce usage by 40%

Sustainable Move

A major advancement in sustainability is coming to one Texas university. A new UT WaterHub at the University of Texas at Austin will be the largest facility of its kind in the U.S. and will transform how the university manages its water resources.

It's designed to work with natural processes instead of against them for water savings of an estimated 40 percent. It's slated for completion in late 2027.

The university has had an active water recovery program since the 1980s. Still, water is becoming an increasing concern in Austin. According to Texas Living Waters, a coalition of conservation groups, Texas loses enough water annually to fill Lady Bird Lake roughly 89 times over.

As Austin continues to expand and face water shortages, the region's water supply faces increased pressure. The UT WaterHub plans to address this challenge by recycling water for campus energy operations, helping preserve water resources for both the university and local communities.

The 9,600-square-foot water treatment facility will use an innovative filtration approach. To reduce reliance on expensive machinery and chemicals, the system uses plants to naturally filter water and gravity to pull it in the direction it needs to go. Used water will be gathered from a new collection point near the Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium and transported to the WaterHub, located in the heart of the engineering district. The facility's design includes a greenhouse viewable to the public, serving as an interactive learning space.

Beyond water conservation, the facility is designed to protect the university against extreme weather events like winter storms. This new initiative will create a reliable backup water supply while decreasing university water usage, and will even reduce wastewater sent to the city by up to 70 percent.

H2O Innovation, UT’s collaborator in this project, specializes in water solutions, helping organizations manage their water efficiently.

"By combining cutting-edge technology with our innovative financing approach, we’re making it easier for organizations to adopt sustainable water practices that benefit both their bottom line and the environment, paving a step forward in water positivity,” said H2O Innovation president and CEO Frédéric Dugré in a press release.

The university expects significant cost savings with this project, since it won't have to spend as much on buying water from the city or paying fees to dispose of used water. Over the next several years, this could add up to millions of dollars.

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A version of this story originally appeared on our sister site, CultureMap Austin.

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