Accelerating OT Cybersecurity at Jacobs: A Q&A with Gabriel Agboruche

Our clients are facing the dual challenges of digital transformation and escalating cyber threats. 

Positioned at the cutting edge of these developments with domain expertise across global industrial markets, we're expanding our digital capabilities and team to deliver unparalleled value.

Meet Jacobs Executive Director for Operational Technology (OT) Cybersecurity Gabriel Agboruche, who is responsible for strategic growth initiatives within the OT cybersecurity practice, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning, and developing a unified global practice that embeds cybersecurity across Jacobs’ end markets and businesses.

Gabriel shares insights into his role and experiences in this Q&A:

Tell us a bit about your role in OT cybersecurity and what we offer our clients in this area. 

The work that I do will help our industrial clients become more resilient against today’s cyber threats. Over my career, I’ve responded to cybersecurity incidents that crippled business operations, damaged critical operational assets, and even left environments in potentially unsafe states. By helping clients restore, eradicate and harden their environments from today’s cyber threats, I’m well positioned to bolster our OT cybersecurity offering. We’re are at an inflection point in OT cybersecurity with critical infrastructure around the world under constant cyber-attack. 

Jacobs is in a unique position to help clients across critical infrastructure sectors protect against these threats through the trust and confidence that we’ve earned through our engineering business. Our OT cybersecurity team works closely with these engineering teams in markets such as water and transportation to address their growing cybersecurity needs. 

Is there a project you’re particularly proud of?

During the Colonial Pipeline cyber incident in May 2021, I served as the lead technical OT incident responder. My role involved assessing the threat actor's penetration into the OT environment and advising the client on containment strategies. I collaborated with information technology teams and federal agencies to coordinate a comprehensive response. This pivotal experience underscored the importance of safeguarding critical infrastructure and robust incident response in OT cybersecurity.

Can you share a time when you delivered something for a client that exceeded their expectations?

A good example of this is when I conducted an on-site security health check across five oil and gas sites. This involved assessing their cybersecurity program, security controls, and OT cybersecurity architecture against industry best practices such as NIST SP 800-82, IEC 62443 and the Purdue model. During my visit, I offered additional insights on physical security standards and recommended enhancements to their network architecture, like data diodes for one-way traffic. These extra contributions not only bolstered their cybersecurity posture but also strengthened our relationship.

What is some of the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The most valuable career advice I've ever received is to maintain a sense of curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning, particularly in the dynamic field of OT cybersecurity. This wisdom has been instrumental in my success across various industrial sectors, equipping me with the foresight to anticipate emerging threats and technologies. It’s spurred me to relentlessly pursue new knowledge, acquire relevant certifications, engage in industry conferences and foster collaborations for insightful exchanges. By adopting this approach, I've been able to offer my clients the most current and effective solutions, fortifying their systems against the evolving landscape of cyber threats.