In an exclusive interview with Leon Poggioli, ANZ Regional Director at Claroty, he shares his insights into how the acceleration of digital transformation is reshaping cybersecurity landscapes, particularly in the operational technology (OT) sector. As industries across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) increasingly embrace digitalisation, Claroty's innovative solutions are at the forefront of protecting cyber-physical systems from emerging threats.
Poggioli explains, "Most organisations are now comfortable with widespread cloud adoption for their IT systems. What we're seeing is an extension into their OT or cyber-physical world." He highlights the shift towards cloud-delivered security for OT systems and the importance of integrating new capabilities with existing platforms. Claroty encourages customers to leverage native integrations with platforms like CrowdStrike and ServiceNow, enhancing threat intelligence sharing and centralising OT CMDB and incident response workflows.
A major trend impacting technology investment, according to Poggioli, is the elevation of cybersecurity to board-level discussions, signalling a shift towards viewing cybersecurity as a competitive advantage. "Organisations are much more conscious about the journey they're on with new cybersecurity technologies," he notes, stressing the importance of a strategic approach to adopting technologies like Claroty's solutions.
The impact of hybrid work environments on cybersecurity focus was also discussed. Poggioli remarks on the necessity of integrating people, processes, and technology to effectively utilise cybersecurity solutions, using the analogy of needing more than just tools to build a house.
Growth alongside transformation
Claroty's SaaS OT security platform, xDome, has seen rapid growth, with many customers transitioning from on-premise solutions to take advantage of scalability and cloud-to-cloud integrations. Poggioli mentions, "We've got significant investment happening this year across our whole product platform," which will enhance cyber teams' ability to protect OT networks.
Looking towards the 2030 Australian cybersecurity strategy, Poggioli believes it offers a vision for Australia to become a cyber leader, leveraging cybersecurity as a competitive advantage. He suggests organisations collaborate with sales and marketing teams to build value propositions that highlight their role in reducing supply chain risk and protecting customer information, thereby not just mitigating risk but also enhancing business profitability.
Claroty's growth in ANZ is particularly notable in traditional OT sectors like food and beverage manufacturing, utilities, and mining. However, Poggioli sees emerging opportunities in non-industrial organisations that operate cyber-physical networks, such as commercial building managers and large retailers. He anticipates a significant impact from IoT devices, especially in consumer settings, on national cybersecurity strategies.
The need for collaboration
Addressing the broader cybersecurity ecosystem, Poggioli advocates for shared best practices and learning from global experiences, drawing parallels to airline safety improvements through shared learnings from incidents. He highlights the importance of transparency and the potential risks of making ransom payments illegal, which could hinder breach reporting and learning.
Claroty's commitment to a 100% channel business in ANZ reflects its recognition of the value partners bring, whether in technology selection, deployment, or risk remediation in critical production networks. Poggioli concludes with a reflection on what sets Claroty apart: its focused expertise on protecting organisations' cyber-physical networks, offering deep protocol support across a wide range of systems.
As digital transformation continues to evolve, Claroty's role in safeguarding OT environments against cybersecurity threats becomes increasingly critical. Through strategic partnerships, innovative solutions, and a forward-looking approach to cybersecurity, Claroty is poised to support ANZ organisations in navigating the complexities of the digital age, ensuring their resilience against the ever-changing landscape of cyber threats.