OT Cyber Thursdays (Ep. 1) - 08/28 - Hidden “Secrets” from the Dragos ‘Year in Review’ Report

OT Cyber Thursdays (Ep. 1) - 08/28 - Hidden “Secrets” from the Dragos ‘Year in Review’ Report

by Mike Holcomb

Applied Sciences & Engineering Computing & Cybersecurity UComputing and Information TechnologyURComputer security
🎙 Mike Holcomb 👥 27K 📅 August 29, 2025 ⏱ 66 min 👁 623 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-08-17
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

OTICSDragosransomwarethreat landscape

Summary

In this first episode of OT Cyber Thursdays, Mike Holcomb discusses the Dragos Year in Review report for 2024, highlighting both well-known trends and lesser-known insights. He emphasizes the increase in ransomware attacks impacting OT environments, often through IT networks, and notes that manufacturing is the most targeted sector. He points out that many organizations lack awareness of their own infrastructure, such as shared VMware platforms that can bridge IT and OT networks. Holcomb explains the concepts of stage one and stage two attackers, where stage one focuses on IT systems and stage two on OT-specific devices. He also touches on the naming conventions of threat groups used by Dragos, which he finds difficult to remember. The video is aimed at OT cybersecurity practitioners and asset owners, providing practical advice on improving security posture based on the report’s findings.

139 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The video provides valuable insights into the OT threat landscape, drawing from the Dragos report and the speaker’s extensive experience. Holcomb effectively argues that ransomware is a significant threat to OT environments, even when attacks originate in IT, and highlights the importance of understanding infrastructure dependencies. He supports his points with real-world examples, such as the Port of Nagoya incident, and explains technical concepts like stage one and stage two attacks clearly. The argumentation is solid, though some points are based on personal observation rather than empirical data.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The primary source is the Dragos Year in Review report, which is a reputable industry publication. Holcomb also references his own experiences and conversations with industry figures like Rob Lee. However, he does not provide direct citations or links to the report, and some claims are anecdotal. The title accurately reflects the content, focusing on hidden insights from the report. The video is an informal discussion, so it lacks the rigor of a formal academic presentation, but it is still informative and credible given the speaker’s expertise.

190 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on lesser-known findings from the Dragos report.

Quality & Reliability

7/10

The speaker is an experienced OT cybersecurity practitioner, and the content is based on the Dragos Year in Review report, a reputable industry source. However, the video is an informal discussion with personal opinions and no formal citations, and some claims are anecdotal.

Key Moments

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

Cited Sources

Concurring Sources

Contribution & Novelties

The video adds value by highlighting lesser-known findings from the Dragos report, such as the risk of shared VMware environments and the distinction between stage one and stage two attackers. It provides practical insights for OT defenders, emphasizing the need to understand infrastructure dependencies and the importance of monitoring for ransomware that can impact OT indirectly.

Pour aller plus loin :

99 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows balanced scores across all dimensions, with slightly lower technical depth compared to information quality. This indicates a video that is informative and reliable but not overly technical, suitable for a broad audience interested in OT security.

Reliability 7/10

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