On the Front Lines, Protecting Critical Infrastructure

Security Masterminds

With current events, there is a strong focus on the critical infrastructure sector that provide fuel, water and electricity to our homes and office buildings.
In today's episode we hear from Spencer Wilcox, who is a cybersecurity leader at a large power utility working to ensure that power is always available and protected against cybercriminals. He shares with us his insights to the energy industry, the supply chain, cyber resiliency and the threats the industry is facing in the next ten years.
Spencer Wilcox has worked in the cybersecurity and physical space of the energy sector for almost twenty years, where previously he was in law enforcement.
Don't miss out on

• The transition from a law enforcement to cyber security
• How important privacy is to security
• The importance of supply chain to availability

Discussed Links & Follow-up

• Hex Editor - https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/hex-editor
• TELNET - https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/telnet
• Link for Thom Langford episode - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1892704/10255518
• The Hymn of the Great A’Tuin - https://discworld.fandom.com/wiki/Great_A%27Tuin
• Purdue Model - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purdue_Enterprise_Reference_Architecture
• Blind Men & the Elephant - https://americanliterature.com/author/james-baldwin/short-story/the-blind-men-and-the-elephant
• Christmas Tree Scan - https://nmap.org/book/scan-methods-null-fin-xmas-scan.html
• NERC CIP Standards - https://www.nerc.com/pa/Stand/Pages/CIPStandards.aspx
• Netflix Chaos Engineering - https://netflixtechblog.com/tagged/chaos-engineering

About Spencer Wilcox
Spencer Wilcox is Executive Director of Technology and Chief Security Officer at PNM Resources, an investor owned utility headquartered in Albuquerque, NM. Spencer is accountable for the secure operations of enterprise IT and OT Infrastructure, Network and Telecommunications, Technology Innovation and the Cyber and Physical Security of the enterprise and the electric grid. In this role he strategically leads leaders to continuously improve operational effectiveness using a risk based approach to technology and security.
Spencer is a nationally recognized speaker, and regular contributor to (ISC)2, ASIS, and SC Congress events. He regularly serves in volunteer capacities to improve cyber security, technology innovation and economic development. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the ICCS committee for the Electric Power Research Institute, and as co-chair of the Security and Technology Policy Executive Advisory Committee for the Edison Electric Institute.
He has previously served as a judge in the SC awards, and Maryland Cyber awards and as a volunteer on the boards of directors for the Virginia Crime Prevention Association, the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc, and the Fort Meade Alliance.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerwilcoxcissp
• Twitter: @brasscount
• Email:

Bab

1. 006-SM-Spencer Wilcox - Opening-New Music-v2 (00:00:00)

2. How did you end up in Cybersecurity? (00:01:57)

3. Technical Background needed for CISO Role? (00:05:39)

4. Privacy Importance in Security (00:09:22)

5. Supply Chain Security (00:13:12)

6. OT Infrastructure - How bad is it? (00:19:14)

7. Biggest Threat to Cybersecurity (00:28:23)