Fortinet has appointed Andrew Sheedy as director of operational technology (OT) solutions, focusing on securing critical infrastructure systems for customers in Australia and New Zealand.
Andrew has a background in the defence force as well as in building OT systems from the ground up. He has spent three decades establishing, managing, and growing teams to deliver technical projects, working in information security roles at various organisations including Speedcast Managed Services, Context Information Security, Splunk, and Security Infrastructure Solutions. For the past 10 years, Andrew held the position of director at Data Management Australia, following 12 years as managing director at Glen Eldon wines.
Andrew became acutely aware of the need to secure OT when he built a control system to manage the vineyards in his role as managing director at Glen Eldon Wines. Since then, he has watched the ongoing evolution of OT and its convergence with IT networks, which has created additional security risks that need to be addressed.
His role at Fortinet will help clients to shape a security framework that keeps their operations safe, secure, compliant, and available. Starting with a risk assessment and understanding of the business and security needs, Andrew will translate those needs into the component architecture layer to build comprehensive solutions for Fortinet clients.
Andrew Sheedy, director OT solutions, Fortinet, said, “Cybersecurity strategy for critical infrastructure has been recognised by Australian state and federal governments as being of significant national interest. Maintaining strong OT security is essential to protecting this critical infrastructure. Fortinet incorporates capabilities that let organisations identify and deal with security threats while maintaining their safety systems’ integrity so they can keep operating safely.
“Fortinet is continuing to innovate in this area, developing new capabilities that provide increased visibility into OT cybersecurity and providing clients with a decision-making system that doesn’t currently exist. This makes it an incredibly exciting time to become part of Fortinet. I’m looking forward to working with new and existing clients to improve the robustness of their security posture.”
Andrew holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification as a lead auditor with documentation, policy, and procedure writing expertise. Andrew spent 13 years in the Australian defence force where he rose to the rank of captain at 5/6 RVR and also trained officer cadets. He also holds a graduate certificate and a graduate diploma in business administration from Swinburne University of Technology.
