Looking forward to attending RSAC and BSidesSF, and next week's #FollowFriday will focus on five people to watch at those events. But I'm equally excited about an event happening a week later: our own OT.SEC.CON.
OT.SEC.CON. is THE Houston-area OT security conference where operational technology meets cybersecurity – designed to bridge the gap between owner/operators and cybersecurity experts. Our mission is to facilitate conversations between these roles to foster a deeper understanding of the challenges in industrial environments from both perspectives. By bringing these two worlds together, OT.SEC.CON. aims to build a collaborative community that can collectively defend critical infrastructure.
The focus on operational technology matters more than ever, as bad actors increasingly target the sector. The war with Iran is a good example of the threat, with Iranian-linked hackers actively targeting OT and critical infrastructure tied to healthcare, energy, transportation, and industrial manufacturing.
And so this week, let's focus on five experts in the space who will speak at OT.SEC.CON. The agenda is packed with the best of the best, and you can read the full agenda here.
Mike Holcomb
Mike Holcomb, an OT.SEC.CON. keynoter, is an independent consultant focused on OT/ICS cybersecurity and an educational content creator. Prior to supporting clients full-time through UtilSec, he was the Fellow of Cybersecurity and the OT/ICS Cybersecurity Global Lead for one of the world’s largest engineering and construction companies, providing him with the opportunity to work in securing some of the world’s largest OT/ICS environments, from power plants and commuter rail to manufacturing facilities and refineries.
Michael and Sam recently did a podcast with him, discussing his free, in-person training on March 31 in Houston, how the movie War Games played a role in his journey into the cybersecurity industry, and how his focus has shifted toward OT/ICS security education.
Where to follow:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeholcomb/
Website: https://www.mikeholcomb.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@utilsec
Saltanat (Salt) Mashir
Saltanat (Salt) Mashirova, also a keynoter, is a Senior Manager of OT Cybersecurity at CPX and was previously Product Management Lead at Honeywell. She is also a member of the OTCEP, Cyber Security Agency of Singapore. She's been actively involved with cybersecurity risk assessments (csHAZOP), ISA/IEC 62443 compliance, governance, OT/ICS Cybersecurity Product Development, OT/ICS Cybersecurity Training Delivery, cybersecurity vulnerability assessments, project engineering, network installation and configuration, commissioning and start-up supervising, SAT, FAT, integration of brownfield and greenfield assets, and much more.
She currently holds a pivotal leadership position, working closely with a diverse range of customers in the OT industry, including key sectors such as buildings, industrials, life sciences, gigafactories, energy, and manufacturing. At OT.SEC.CON. she will present "Resilience in Action. A Path Forward for Disaster Recovery in Operational Technology."
Where to follow:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saltanat-mashirova-b88bba193/
Company: https://www.cpx.net/
Anthony George
Anthony George is the CEO and Chief Engineer of George Consulting & Engineering (GCE), an Industry 4.0 systems integration and industrial cybersecurity firm focused on securing and modernizing real-world manufacturing environments. He specializes in helping small and mid-size manufacturers safely operate legacy control systems alongside modern IT, cloud, and data-driven technologies. Anthony is a former U.S. Air National Guard Cyber Warfare Operator, where he was trained to defend critical infrastructure and mission systems against advanced cyber threats.
He works directly inside active production plants—retrofitting legacy machines, hardening OT networks, designing resilient architectures, and integrating ERP, MES, MQTT, and cloud platforms without disrupting operations. Known for his pragmatic, field-driven approach, Anthony focuses on translating security theory into practical controls that prioritize safety, uptime, and operational reality. At OT.SEC.CON., he will present "From Cyber Warfare to the Factory Floor: What National Defense Gets Right (and Wrong) About OT Security."
Where to follow:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonygeorgewichita/
Website: https://www.gcewichita.com/
Joseph Ponnoly
Dr. Joseph Ponnoly, DBA is an interdisciplinary researcher and practitioner specializing in systemic risk, decision-making under deep uncertainty (DMDU), and the governance of complex socio-technical systems, with a focus on cybersecurity and emerging technologies. His work integrates systems theory, robust decision-making, sensemaking, and early-warning approaches to address cascading failures in cyber-physical and organizational environments.
His research and presentations cover industrial control systems (ICS/OT) security, robotic and autonomous system security, and the use of Digital Twins and Agentic AI for secure system design and resilience. He is the author of "Gateway to the Quantum Age" (2018) and brings prior experience in white-collar crime and financial fraud investigations to his research on institutional failure and systemic risk. At OT.SEC.CON., he will present "Chaos Engineering for Cybersecurity and Resilience of Agentic AI–Controlled Robotic Systems in Critical Infrastructures."
Where to follow:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jponnoly1/
Website: https://cinfodens.com/
Sarah G. Freeman
As a Chief Engineer at MITRE, Sarah Freeman leads the development and implementation of innovative solutions for industrial control system (ICS) cybersecurity. She has over 10 years of experience in conducting threat analysis, threat modeling, and consequence-driven cyber-informed engineering for critical infrastructure sectors, such as energy, water, and transportation.
She has contributed to multiple patents, publications, and awards in the field of ICS cybersecurity, demonstrating her passion and commitment to advancing the state of the art and best practices in this domain. At OT.SEC.CON., she will present "Infrastructure Susceptibility in the Age of AI-Enabled Adversaries."
Where to follow:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-g-freeman/
Website: https://www.mitre.org/news-insights/media-coverage/industrial-cyber-taps-sarah-freeman-its-hall-fame
