OT x IT Convergence: November’s Cyber Thursday Played to a Full House

November’s Cyber Thursday brought together experts, students and professionals for a session centred on the convergence of OT and IT, with concrete experience-sharing at its heart.

Behind the Scenes of Physical Intrusion: Ethics, Technique and Resilience

The evening of 6 November began at full speed with Kévin Tellier and Théo D. (Synacktiv), who were given free rein to open the event. They chose to shed light on one of their specialties: physical intrusion.

OSINT, lock-picking, social engineering, pentesting… a range of techniques used to test an organisation’s human and technical cyber-resilience, all carried out within a strictly ethical and fully reversible contractual framework.

To illustrate their points, they shared a real assignment conducted within an industrial SME supplying a major group. Their demonstration showed just how thin the line is between the physical and digital worlds, reminding everyone that comprehensive cybersecurity extends far beyond software barriers alone.

Industrial Cybersecurity: Towards Unified IT/OT Governance

Following this captivating introduction, the discussion broadened with contributions from Maëlys Montantin (Compagnie des Alpes), Maxime D. (Groupe L’OCCITANE), Erwan Abgrall (EDF) and Olivier J. (Institut de Recherche et d’Études Navales).

Their conclusion was clear: it is time to break down the silos between IT and OT in order to build integrated cyber governance capable of protecting environments that are both critical and complex.

The guests expanded on the cyber constraints linked to their operational activities:

• The exposure of a port area operating as a “smart port”, where a multitude of actors with very different missions intersect (merchant and military shipping)
• The economic impact of a potential shutdown of a production unit and its logistics chain (a cosmetics manufacturing plant exporting to many countries)
• Managing infrastructure security in a venue open to the public (a leisure park)
• Technical constraints arising from demanding climatic conditions (ski resorts)
• Anticipation and protection against cyber-attacks targeting an OIV in a tense geopolitical context (an electricity producer)

As one of the speakers summed it up: “The most dangerous threat is the one you can’t see.” A line that resonated throughout the evening.

Lively Exchanges and Engaged Students

This Cyber Thursday provided an excellent learning opportunity for the many students in attendance, from the BUT Réseaux & Télécommunications of the IUT of Saint-Malo (for whom this was a first) to cybersecurity PhD students. Their curiosity and diverse backgrounds sparked spontaneous, constructive exchanges rooted in very concrete feedback.

The evening closed on a friendly note with a cocktail reception that encouraged direct discussions between field experts and the cybersecurity professionals of tomorrow.

A huge thank you to our six experts for a Cyber Thursday that was rich, inspiring and firmly anchored in real-world practice!