{"id":1333,"date":"2023-10-15T18:53:51","date_gmt":"2023-10-15T15:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/?p=1333"},"modified":"2023-10-15T18:53:51","modified_gmt":"2023-10-15T15:53:51","slug":"reflections-on-my-first-time-as-a-panel-moderator-at-cerc-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/2023\/10\/15\/reflections-on-my-first-time-as-a-panel-moderator-at-cerc-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on My First Time as a Panel Moderator at CERC 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p id=\"ember960\">Stepping into the shoes of a panel moderator for the first time can be a whirlwind experience, filled with excitement, nerves, and many learning. My recent stint at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cerc.kw\/\">CERC 2023<\/a> conference in Kuwait was no exception. I had the distinct honor of moderating the ICS\/SCADA systems panel, a significant platform discussing the challenges, solutions, and the future of ICS\/OT cyber security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember961\">On 15th October 2023, with an audience waiting in anticipation, I had 30 minutes and 4 professional panelists to engage with. Each began with a 2-minute introduction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dr. Sridhar Adepu<\/strong> from the University of Bristol drew our attention to the educational testbeds they&#8217;ve cultivated, illustrating the intricacies of physical processes and the repercussions of incorporating risks. What particularly piqued my curiosity was the research-driven ethos underlying their testbeds at Bristol University.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eng. Ali Al-Enzi<\/strong> painted a compelling vision of his project proposal for the Kuwait government, underlining the ambition of digitizing water utilities. This proposal stands as a cog in the grander machinery of the \u201cKuwait Vision\u201d project.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eng. Dhari Al-Ajmi<\/strong> of EQUATE Petrochemical embarked on a discourse about the myriad OT cybersecurity challenges peppering the region. He placed a magnifying glass on the essence of knowledge and the bedrock of robust standards such as ISO\/IEC 62443. Adding weight to his words was his accolade of the \u201cISA\/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Expert certificate.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eng. Abdulaziz Alhumoud<\/strong>, representing KIPIC, dived into the nuances of security controls in OT, with a special focus on the Isolation mechanism. His insights unraveled the fragility and susceptibilities rampant in a plethora of OT devices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember963\">The exchange between the panelists was electrifying. Questions, clarifications, and comments flowed, creating a dynamic atmosphere that encapsulated the audience&#8217;s attention. It was evident they yearned for more when the session ended, a testament to the panel&#8217;s effectiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember964\">Drawing from my past experience with my YouTube channel, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@zerontek\">ICS Arabia<\/a>\u201d, where I\u2019ve interviewed numerous OT and IT professionals, I felt poised to navigate the dialogues smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember965\">As I reflect on this experience, here are my golden nuggets for first-time (and seasoned) moderators:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember966\"><strong>1. Preparation is Key<\/strong>: Having been immersed in ICS\/OT cybersecurity for 12 years, I leveraged my in-depth understanding. Meeting panelists beforehand or researching them online facilitated more personalized interactions. Further, attending their conference lectures provided context, aiding in my preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember967\"><strong>2. Set Clear Guidelines<\/strong>: Prior communication is imperative. An email delineating the time constraints and topic boundaries set the tone for the panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember968\"><strong>3. Command Attention with an Introduction<\/strong>: A solid opening is paramount. I introduced myself, the panel, and the significance of ICS\/OT cyber security. Pro tip: Draft your introduction beforehand to ensure it&#8217;s concise and engaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember969\"><strong>4. Engage Your Audience<\/strong>: Starting with a brief bio about myself and highlighting the panel&#8217;s importance set the stage for the subsequent discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember970\"><strong>5. Time Management<\/strong>: I kept my iPhone stopwatch handy, ensuring no panelist exceeded their allocated time. This ensured a balanced dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember971\"><strong>6. Foster a Relaxed Environment<\/strong>: Interjecting light-hearted moments or jests made the panelists more at ease, facilitating an open exchange of ideas. It also helped in captivating the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember972\"><strong>7. Relish the Journey<\/strong>: It&#8217;s essential to remember that the goal is to provide value, foster learning, and facilitate networking. Embrace the experience, ensuring it&#8217;s more of a knowledge-sharing session than a debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ember973\">For those venturing into moderating or the broader ICS\/OT cyber security community, remember that each interaction, each panel, is an opportunity to learn and grow. Here&#8217;s to more enriching dialogues in the future!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stepping into the shoes of a panel moderator for the first time can be a whirlwind experience, filled with excitement, nerves, and many learning. My recent stint at the CERC 2023 conference in Kuwait was no exception. I had the distinct honor of moderating the ICS\/SCADA systems panel, a significant platform discussing the challenges, solutions, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1334,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[185,4,3,48],"tags":[224,7,6,47,225,27],"class_list":["post-1333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conference","category-cyber-security","category-ics-security","category-ot-security","tag-cerc2023","tag-cyber-security","tag-ics-security","tag-ot-security","tag-panel-moderator","tag-zerontek"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1333"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1335,"href":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1333\/revisions\/1335"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zerontek.com\/zt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}