68: Using Engineering + OT to Launch Your CyberSecurity Career

(CS)²AI Podcast Show: Control System Cyber Security

Today, Khalid Ansari joins Derek Harp. He is a Senior Engineer of Industrial Control Cybersecurity at FM Approvals in Boston.

Khalid Ansari is an ICS/OT Cybersecurity Engineer with in-the-trenches experience in industrial automation, control systems, and MES. He is a proponent of secure-by-design products and a secure software development lifecycle.

Khalid has been working in the control systems field for 25 years. He grew up and went to school and university in a small city in Southern India. In addition to being an engineer and a long-time contributor to the OT control systems cybersecurity community, he is also a husband, father, coder, lifetime learner, avid reader, outdoor enthusiast, and struggling skier.

In this episode, Khalid shares his modern-day superhero backstory and discusses his education path and career journey. He also shares his insight and offers valuable nuggets of advice for anyone considering a career in cybersecurity.

Show highlights:

• Khalid was first exposed to technology when his dad bought him a Commodore 500 during high school.
• Khalid did his first paid job while he was in college.
• Khalid discusses his educational experiences in India, the UK, and the US.
• What would Khalid do differently today? (In terms of his studies.)
• Khalid discusses a job opportunity that arose because he was active on the control systems bulletin board while doing his MBA.
• Khalid talks about moving to the Middle East to gain the asset-owner experience he lacked in his portfolio.
• Khalid offers a global perspective on cybersecurity for control systems.
• Khalid shares his view on government regulations within the industry.
• Some suggestions for certifications and other ways for young professionals to acquire knowledge and gain career experience.
• The benefits of volunteering, and how to go about it.
• The role mentorship has played in Khalid’s career.