17 September, 2018: Maritime and Oil and Gas Cyber Security specialists, Cyber Prism, has appointed Martin Smith CBE MBE as Chief Operating Officer (COO). A former serving Major General and head of the Royal Marines, Smith has been brought in to help grow and shape the Cyber Prism offering, with a specific focus on the Oil and Gas industry.

During a distinguished military career, Smith worked extensively in maritime security and maintained a strong focus on information superiority. He headed the military contribution to oil and gas security, commanded multinational counter-piracy operations, and modernised the Royal Marines’ information and intelligence capability whilst leading service personnel at every rank level he occupied over a 33 year period.

Smith’s Military background will serve him well as he helps shape day-to-day company growth, supporting and advising companies on their Cyber Security efforts. With malware attacks becoming increasingly advanced, it is crucial that Oil and Gas companies protect not only their IT networks, but also their Operational Technology, from major security breaches, loss of production and threats to life.

Chris Griffiths, Founder and Executive Chairman of Cyber Prism says: ‘We are really excited to have Martin on board. His military background means he is well-placed to help shape our offering, and support Oil and Gas companies in protecting their Operational Technology.’

In addition to Oil and Gas, Smith will also help drive business growth in the shipping and superyacht sectors, which are areas that are also vulnerable to Cyber-Attack.

Says Smith: ‘I’m really excited to join the company at such a key stage of growth and help to create a flexible, cutting-edge organisation. With over 4,000 malware attacks per day, and the NCSC warning the Oil and Gas industry to prepare for increasing threat levels, it is imperative that energy companies receive the right support to deal with one of the key challenges of our time. The Cyber Prism offering is unique in that it is effective across the boundary between Operational Information Technology; providing holistic, tailored solutions at a fraction of the cost of an incident. Cyber-Attacks are not one-offs, they are constant, which is why a network needs ongoing protection.’

To find out more about Cyber Prism, Smith will be speaking at the Oil & Gas UK Cyber Security Seminar on 18th September at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

His presentation will look at the importance of Cyber Security and how this is not just an IT issue, but also a concern for Operational Technology.

Complex threats: The need for a collective, connected response in the Oil and Gas industry

• Warfare, geopolitics and deterrence
• Cyber Security and its value
• The Drivers: NIS Directive, HSE and Insurance
• Single platforms versus the threat to whole networks up and down the supply chain. ·
• Operational Technology versus IT.