Event round-up: Operational technology security conference
Earlier this year, techUK held its first conference on operational technology security. The event explored a range of topics through keynotes, panels and fireside chats with stakeholders working across OT systems. As techUK’s first venture into this space, the topics were kept broad to ensure we understood where the key challenges are and what opportunities lie ahead.
Visibility across increasingly automated supply chains
More should be done to understand how suppliers, vendors and service providers interact with OT systems, as supply chains should be treated as a broader business issue. As control systems become more interconnected, knowing exactly what is entering and leaving an organisation’s digital and physical environments is essential for identifying vulnerabilities and preventing compromise.
While the importance of visibility was widely acknowledged, it’s clear that there is a persistent gap between awareness and action. Too few organisations have the skills, governance structures or incentives to fully understand their extended supply chains — a challenge that automation may intensify. By improving supply chain visibility, organisations will be better placed to manage their vulnerabilities but also to adopt new technologies safely and confidently.
Legacy technology in OT environments
Many organisations can struggle to implement the right levels of security practices due to the presence of legacy infrastructure across critical environments. These systems often cannot be patched or replaced easily, or their original developers may no longer exist. This makes upgrades costly and potentially disruptive. Relevant teams often find pragmatic ways to protect their ageing assets, such as zoning networks or placing modern security layers in front of legacy systems to keep them operational without introducing new risks.
Organisations need to be incentivised to invest in clear strategies to modernise, otherwise they risk spending more on unprotected systems.
The intersection of safety, engineering and cyber security
In OT, changes to systems can have real-world safety implications, so training must be contextualised for engineers and operators. Incident response or risk management cannot mirror corporate IT approaches and responders must understand what each switch, sensor or process controls before taking action.
When contextualising the risk, IT teams entering OT environments may need specific safety certifications, requiring collaboration between multidisciplinary teams, this requires collaboration between multi-disciplinary teams.
There is a cultural gap between IT and OT professionals, which until organisations align on a shared risk language and review how they train staff to allow them access to secure sites, there is a danger that cyber security measures may inadvertently compromise safety or disrupt operations.
Understanding the evolving policy landscape
The current policy landscape can be complex, and organisations should be given clear frameworks that are proportional, focusing on purpose and implementation. Different sectors are at different stages of maturity – the civil nuclear industry has a mature and collaborative relationship with their regulator, while the same can’t be said for other regulators.
Frameworks like the CAF 4.0, have been welcomed by industry, though there has been attention to the idea that more enforcement is needed. Principle based guidance such as ‘secure by design’ has brought greater intent and accountability to how the systems and supply chains are built. Voluntary standards and codes of practice can set useful baselines, but without business buy-in and strong governance, they risk being viewed as a tick-box exercise. Navigating the balance between regulation and agility can be challenging. An overly prescriptive rule could impact on innovation, yet a voluntary approach could fail to create real impact. Navigating this balance remains a core challenge of policy interventions.
Addressing the OT skills gap
The sector demands a unique blend of engineering, safety and cybersecurity expertise, and those skillsets rarely overlap. Many current practitioners have learned on the job or through colleagues, but there’s still no clear professional pathway or recognised certification framework to develop the next generation of OT specialists.
There was strong support for creating pilot schemes and certification programmes that would give engineers a structured route into cybersecurity, helping to build both awareness and credibility. Government efforts, such as requiring professional titles for work on public contracts, were seen as positive “nudges” toward this goal.
A coordinated push is needed to promote OT security as a blended skillset within universities, apprenticeships and professional training.
What is techUK doing next?
The conference made it clear that the OT community needs a shared space to collaborate to bring together regulators, industry and customers to tackle these systemic challenges. techUK aims to build on this momentum by spotlighting specific sectors in 2026 and creating a forum for practical collaboration on supply chain resilience, policy alignment and skills development.
Annie Collings
Programme Manager, Cyber Resilience, techUK
Annie is the Programme Manager for Cyber Resilience at techUK. She first joined as the Programme Manager for Cyber Security and Central Government in September 2023.
In her role, Annie supports the Cyber Security SME Forum, engaging regularly with key government and industry stakeholders to advance the growth and development of SMEs in the cyber sector. Annie also coordinates events, engages with policy makers and represents techUK at a number of cyber security events.
Before joining techUK, Annie was an Account Manager at a specialist healthcare agency, where she provided public affairs support to a wide range of medical technology clients. She also gained experience as an intern in both an MP’s constituency office and with the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed. Annie holds a degree in International Relations from Nottingham Trent University.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Twitter:
- anniecollings24
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-collings-270150158/
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Meet the team
Jill Broom
Head of Cyber Resilience, techUK
Jill leads the techUK Cyber Resilience programme, having originally joined techUK in October 2020 as a Programme Manager for the Cyber and Central Government programmes. She is responsible for managing techUK's work across the cyber security ecosystem, bringing industry together with key stakeholders across the public and private sectors. Jill also provides the industry secretariat for the Cyber Growth Partnership, the industry and government conduit for supporting the growth of the sector. A key focus of her work is to strengthen the public–private partnership across cyber to support further development of UK cyber security and resilience policy.
Before joining techUK, Jill worked as a Senior Caseworker for an MP, advocating for local communities, businesses and individuals, so she is particularly committed to techUK’s vision of harnessing the power of technology to improve people’s lives. Jill is also an experienced editorial professional and has delivered copyediting and writing services for public-body and SME clients as well as publishers.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Website:
- www.techuk.org/
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-broom-19aa824
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Annie Collings
Programme Manager, Cyber Resilience, techUK
Annie is the Programme Manager for Cyber Resilience at techUK. She first joined as the Programme Manager for Cyber Security and Central Government in September 2023.
In her role, Annie supports the Cyber Security SME Forum, engaging regularly with key government and industry stakeholders to advance the growth and development of SMEs in the cyber sector. Annie also coordinates events, engages with policy makers and represents techUK at a number of cyber security events.
Before joining techUK, Annie was an Account Manager at a specialist healthcare agency, where she provided public affairs support to a wide range of medical technology clients. She also gained experience as an intern in both an MP’s constituency office and with the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed. Annie holds a degree in International Relations from Nottingham Trent University.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Twitter:
- anniecollings24
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-collings-270150158/
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Olivia Staples
Junior Programme Manager - Cyber Resilience, techUK
Olivia Staples joined techUK in May 2025 as a Junior Programme Manager in the Cyber Resilience team.
She supports the programs mission to promote cyber resilience by engaging key commercial and government stakeholders to shape the cyber resilience policy towards increased security and industry growth. Olivia assists in member engagement, event facilitation and communications support.
Before joining techUK, Olivia gained experience in research, advocacy, and strategic communications across several international organisations. At the Munich Security Conference, she supported stakeholder engagement and contributed to strategic communications. She also worked closely with local and national government stakeholders in Spain and Italy, where she was involved in policy monitoring and advocacy for both public and private sector clients.
Olivia holds an MSc in Political Science (Comparative Politics and Conflict Studies) from the London School of Economics (LSE) and a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from University College London (UCL).
Outside of tech, Olivia enjoys volunteering with local charities and learning Norwegian.
- Email:
- [email protected]
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Fran Richiusa
Programme Team Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Fran serves as the Programme Team Assistant within techUK’s Public Sector Market Programmes, where she is responsible for delivering comprehensive team support, managing administrative functions, and fostering strong relationships with members.
Prior to joining techUK in May 2025, Fran built a meaningful career in the charitable and local government sectors. She worked extensively with both victims and perpetrators of crime, and notably led the coordination of Domestic Homicide Reviews across Surrey—an initiative aimed at identifying lessons and preventing future incidents of domestic abuse.
Outside of work, Fran is an avid traveller and a proud cat mum who enjoys unwinding with her feline companions.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Website:
- www.techuk.org/
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesca-richiusa/
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