COPT Defense Properties joins Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition

The OT Cyber Coalition welcomes COPT Defense Properties (CDP) as the newest member to join the diverse group of cybersecurity stakeholders dedicated to improving the cybersecurity of OT environments.  

OTCC: Tell us a little about COPT Defense Properties.  

COPT Defense Properties: COPT Defense Properties is a public, self-managed, real estate investment trust focused on owning, operating and developing properties in locations proximate to, or sometimes containing, key U.S. Government (USG) defense installations and missions. Our tenants include the USG and their defense contractors, who are primarily engaged in priority national security activities, and who generally require mission-critical and high security property enhancements.  

OTCC: Why did your company decide to join this coalition? Why is this so important? 

COPT Defense Properties: CDP decided to join the coalition because it sits in a unique space advocating for the advancement of OT cybersecurity both in policy and technology.  From our perspective, as a very different type of asset owner/operator, the OTCC is the intersection of forward-looking OEMs seeking to shape and influence the market with capabilities critical to the cybersecurity resilience of CDP as well as much broader Defense Critical Infrastructure and at the national level.  As a commercial real estate entity, legislative advocacy focused on securing and enhancing the resilience of the technologies in our assets coupled with contributing to the national conversation on policy and regulation potentially impacting CDP is not happening anywhere else – this coalition is unlike any other. 

OTCC: What do you think is the top cybersecurity threat facing critical infrastructure owners and operators today? 

COPT Defense Properties: While most would say China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, etc, from a nation-state perspective, agentic AI evolving to launch autonomous attacks against critical infrastructure, supply chain, or continued direct exposure to the Internet for remote access – all of the above would be true.   

However, the top threat is our own collective lack of urgency to address these threats in a meaningful way - in legislation, policy, technology, and evolving how our IT and OT teams partner.  Where they have grown up in separate worlds – we need to operate differently and ultimately invest  together in solutions to build and deploy more resilient capabilities against today’s threats.   

The evolution of OT technology is forcing a convergence of experience and expertise requiring us to team in ways we may not have before – within organizations and at the national level.  The status quo has not been effective in making forward progress at the speed necessary to meet the challenges facing owners and operators today and into the future.  New ideas and approaches are needed and the OTCC is helping to bring all of the above together. 

OTCC: What is the most critical step the federal government can take with critical infrastructure owners and operators to better secure their OT systems? What is the most critical step federal agencies who have operational technology can take to make those systems more secure?  

COPT Defense Properties: Critical infrastructure is the best example of a public-private partnership available to the federal government in the cybersecurity space.  Both for defense and the day-to-day functioning of the federal government, much of the infrastructure the USG depends on is outside of government control and operation.  

Meeting the threats and challenges we face today, and view on the horizon, require a national approach with asset owner/operators and the federal government as partners seeking a resilient USA not just the USG.  How we unite to overcome known (and unknown) foreign intrusion and influence within our critical infrastructure is one of the greatest challenges we face as a nation.  New approaches, funding strategies, legislation, and technology – driven by the USG at all levels teaming with industry and asset owners/operators is required to achieve success.