Siemens: Anticipating the Next Attack Surface, OT Security in an Era of AI and Automation

CyCon 2026 | Session by Jeff Foley, Cybersecurity Evangelist, Siemens Industry As industrial environments rapidly adopt AI, autonomous systems, and software defined automation, the operational technology (OT) attack surface is expanding in both scale and complexity. The convergence of IT and OT, increased connectivity to cloud and remote operations, and the integration of AI into engineering and control workflows are reshaping how industrial systems are designed, operated, and attacked. At the same time, adversaries are leveraging automation and artificial intelligence to accelerate reconnaissance, exploit supply chain dependencies, and target cyber physical processes with greater precision. This presentation explores how the next generation of cyber threats is emerging at the intersection of AI, automation, and industrial connectivity, and why traditional perimeter focused OT security models are no longer sufficient. Drawing on Siemens Digital Industries’ experience across critical infrastructure and manufacturing sectors, the session examines how digital twins, virtualized control systems, AI assisted operations, and machine to machine trust redefine risk in modern OT environments. The talk frames “Securing Tomorrow” through a secure by design and lifecycle based approach, highlighting how defense in depth, zero trust principles, and architectural foresight can enable organizations to anticipate future attack surfaces rather than react to past incidents. It concludes by showing how AI and automation—when governed correctly—can be leveraged to strengthen resilience, visibility, and long term cyber readiness in industrial systems. #CCDCOE #CyCon2026