How do you protect factory floors, utilities, and critical infrastructure when IT and OT finally run on the same nervous system? That is the challenge at the heart of my latest conversation with John Walsh, Field CTO at IGEL Technology, recorded live at the IGEL Now and Next event in Frankfurt.

Back in March in Miami, John and I talked about zero trust as an ecosystem rather than a product, a way to bring unified management and strong policy enforcement to the endpoint. This time, we take that thinking to the operational technology world, where the stakes feel very different. When a cyberattack hits a factory, it is not only data at risk. It can stop production lines, damage equipment, and cost millions in downtime. John explains how a prevention first mindset, backed by IGEL’s immutable OS, Universal Management Suite, and OEM ready integrations, is helping manufacturers and OEMs move security out to the edge where attacks actually begin.

Across the episode, John lifts the lid on IGEL’s work with partners such as Intel, Honeywell, Zscaler, and others who see OT as a growth frontier. We talk about US Department of Defense zero trust 2.0 requirements, European regulation, and what it really takes to extend zero trust thinking from the office to the plant. From dark industrial networks to containerized workloads at the edge, from sensor attestation to the kill chain, this is a grounded look at how endpoint security, confidential compute, and sovereign architectures are reshaping industrial resilience.

This one is for anyone who cares about the future of secure infrastructure, whether you work in manufacturing, utilities, or simply want a clearer view of where zero trust is heading as AI powered threats accelerate. Do you believe prevention first security can truly keep pace with autonomous attacks, or are we still leaning too heavily on detection and response thinking from an older era of cyber? I would love to hear your thoughts.

What does business continuity really mean when thousands of devices across a hospital or enterprise go dark? In this episode, Jason Mafera, Chief Technology Officer for Healthcare at IGEL, joins me at the Now and Next event in Frankfurt to explore why endpoint resilience has become one of the most overlooked priorities in cybersecurity.

Jason explains why hospitals and healthcare providers have zero tolerance for downtime, and how the same principle applies across every industry where endpoint failure halts operations. He breaks down how IGEL’s prevention-first approach and its Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery solution can restore access within minutes, even during a ransomware event that would otherwise take weeks or months to recover from.

For cybersecurity analysts evaluating endpoint protection, Jason offers valuable insight into what a prevention-first model looks like in practice. He describes how secure-by-design, read-only operating systems, dual boot capabilities, and layered recovery options create an architecture that is both lightweight and resilient. Analysts looking to compare endpoint strategies will find this discussion useful for understanding how organizations can combine operational uptime, rapid recovery, and measurable ROI without adding complexity or cost.

We also discuss how prevention-first design changes the economics of IT. Jason shares examples of how organizations are cutting costs, improving patient safety, and aligning endpoint strategy with Zero Trust frameworks to strengthen both security and productivity.

It is a fascinating look at how the business of cybersecurity is changing, and why protecting the endpoint is no longer optional. Are enterprises finally ready to treat endpoint continuity as part of their core business strategy? I would love to hear your thoughts after the episode.

Useful Links

• Connect with Klaus Oestermann on LinkedIn
  • Learn more about IGEL
  • Follow on LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube

Tech Talks Daily is Sponsored by NordLayer:

Get the exclusive Black Friday offer: 28% off NordLayer yearly plans with the coupon code: techdaily-28. Valid until December 10th, 2025. Try it risk-free with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

In today’s digital battlefield, prevention is no longer enough. Firewalls and endpoint protection might keep the doors locked, but attackers are slipping in through the windows. In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Brian Dye, CEO of Corelight, to explore how the cybersecurity game has changed and why network detection and response (NDR) has become the new frontline of digital defense.

Brian brings an extraordinary track record from senior roles at Symantec, McAfee, and Citrix, giving him a rare perspective on how cyber strategy has evolved from antivirus software to AI-driven network intelligence. As he explains, “The days of when things were nice and loud and easy to find have come and gone.” Attackers now live off the land, using legitimate IT tools like PowerShell to hide in plain sight, while generative AI accelerates the weaponization of new exploits in hours instead of weeks.

We discuss why Corelight’s open-source heritage gives it a unique edge in the GenAI era, how automation is reshaping response workflows, and what it really takes to achieve sub-15-second threat response. Brian also opens up about leadership lessons learned from his years in the industry, Corelight’s growth from startup to global scale, and the cultural principles that keep innovation alive through rapid expansion.

This conversation goes far beyond cybersecurity buzzwords. It is a candid look at the reality facing modern defenders, where data is readiness, visibility is power, and resilience is built one decision at a time. Whether you are a CISO, developer, or business leader, this episode offers a grounded, human perspective on the future of cyber defense and what it means to truly understand what went “bump in the night.”