Realities in the Systems That Produce Our Food with James Slaby

What does a deep fake phone call scamming your grandma have to do with food manufacturing? More than you think.

In this episode of Bites and Bytes Podcast, host Kristin King and James Slaby discuss the operational technology challenges in food production—from legacy systems running Windows XP to ransomware threats when production lines go down.

James is Director of OT Solutions GTM at Acronis and brings over 20 years of cybersecurity and industry analyst experience from Forrester Research, HFS Research, and technology companies. The conversation covers why food plants can't update their systems, the growing threat of social engineering and deep fakes, and practical strategies like the family password defense.

Topics include:

• Why food manufacturers still run ancient operating systems
• Deep fake threats and how to protect yourself
• Air-gapped systems and OT security challenges
• Social engineering targeting industrial operations
• Legacy technology in food production environments

Whether you’re in food manufacturing, cybersecurity, or just curious about the systems behind your food supply, this episode reveals the realities of keeping production running while managing cyber threats.

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Guest Contact Information: James Slaby’s LinkedIn Company: Acronis Role: Director of OT Solutions GTM at Acronis

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Episode Key Highlights: 00:21:42 – Ominous shifts in the threat environment 00:22:00 – Attacks on critical infrastructure 00:24:22 – Challenges facing small farms and businesses 00:31:29 – Equipment life cycles and legacy systems in OT 00:32:05 – Why stability matters in OT environments 00:33:10 – The industrialization of cybercrime 00:33:25 – GenAI tools used by bad actors 00:34:37 – Social engineering in food and agriculture 00:35:54 – The family password conversation 00:36:08 – Deep fake technology and voice cloning threats

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🛡️ About AnzenSage & AnzenOT

AnzenSage is a cybersecurity advisory firm specializing in security resilience for the food, agriculture, zoo, and aquarium industries.  AnzenSage offers practical, strategic guidance to help organizations anticipate risks and build resilience.  Learn more about their offerings at anzensage.com.​

AnzenOT:  Industrial Cyber Risk — Simple.  Smart.  Swift. AnzenOT is the SaaS risk management platform built to bring clarity and control to Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity.  Designed for critical infrastructure sectors, AnzenOT translates technical risk into clear, actionable insight for decision-makers.  Explore the platform at anzenot.com. For demo requests or inquiries, email [e-mail] or [e-mail]